Incandescence
by Ceireavne
Summary: Taern is a riolu apprenticed to Serence, a slowbro living secluded in the mountains. One day, an injured amnesiac vulpix wanders into their camp. After nursing her back to health, the slowbro apprentices her as well. The students' rivalry inevitably becomes something much stronger. Rated M for lemons. Contains precluded consent and power play. If you don't like that, don't read it.
1. Becoming Rivals

The journey through the mountains took several days, and I hardly remember any of it. I was too young to, that's what Master Serence tells me. When we'd finally arrived, the Sawsbuck who'd brought me here entreated Master Serence to take care of me. He couldn't bring himself to refuse, of course. Master Serence had always been very softhearted, if a bit slow on the uptake. He resided within a grove located in the deepest part of the Taragio mountains, and within that grove was a crisp, green clearing complete with a mountain spring. It was a place of life and reprieve within the harsh conditions of its outlying mountains. But to me, it was home.

"Are you going to continue daydreaming, or will we have to meditate by ourselves?" Master Serence mused, glancing at me. The slowbro sat on a large rock, much like the smaller one I sat on.

"I apologize, Master Serence," I replied. Shaking the unnecessary thoughts from the fore of my mind, I resumed the proper posture.

His voice interrupted my renewed concentration. "That is sufficient. Taern, you may take a break for now. Join us in an hour. We would like to spar with you then," he said, dismissing me.

"Yes, sir." I scrambled to my feet and hurried away, glad for the break.

Meditation and sparring were both part of my training regimen, but I always preferred the latter. Back when Master Serence had adopted me, he'd taken me as his apprentice, and that meant lots of training and hard work. Most days started with me doing chores: collecting firewood, foraging in the surrounding grove for berries, and cleaning the campgrounds. After that, I would join Master Serence in meditation for a portion of the morning, and then we would spar until it was lunch time. Once we'd eaten, he usually had me practice my forms, then we would meditate again, followed by another sparring session. Finally, we would eat supper, and he usually allowed me the rest of the evening off. Sometimes he would teach me things like fishing or other survival techniques. He'd recently even started teaching me how to read footprint runes. Although he often was a strict teacher, Master Serence was the closest thing I had to family.

Finding the tallest tree in the grove, I began carefully climbing into its highest branches. As long as I was careful, I was good at climbing, and it was something that I rather enjoyed. While the grove was enclosed by mountains, it was itself at a fairly high elevation, leaving much of the sky visible during sunsets. It was a pretty view, and one of the ways I frequently occupied myself when Master Serence wasn't teaching or training me.

Before that herd of sawsbucks had found me wandering through the nearby mountains, I'd been living with my parents. I could hardly remember them, even less than I remembered the journey here. One night, a clan of rogue dusclops attacked us. Mother and father fought them, letting me get away safely. I'd spent days looking for them before the sawsbucks found me, and I still wasn't sure what had happened to my parents.

A particularly chilly breeze sent a shiver down my spine, drawing me out of my reverie. I shook it off, and proceeded to climb back down the tree. Often when I sat up there, my mind would wander like that, remembering the past, or contemplating about the future. The sort of stuff that Master Serence always told me to tune out when we were meditating.

I winded my way back through the campsite, taking my time and double-checking on the firewood and berry stores before meeting the sagacious slowbro.

"Master Serence," I said, bowing respectfully.

It was several moments before he responded. "Hmm?"

"It has been an hour, as you requested, sir."

"Ah, yes," he said, rising from the large stone he was meditating on. The two of us began slowly walking towards the sparring grounds. I had to pace myself, trying not to get too far ahead of him.

Excitement filled me as I took my place across from the sagacious slowbro. Sparring was one of my favorite parts of Master Serence's training regimen, and I was much better at it than meditation.

"Taern, we are ready. You may begin." The slowbro's voice was very measured as he spoke. While he hadn't yet assumed a fighting stance, I knew from previous experience that he was as ready as he ever was.

I crouched down, coiling my muscles like a spring. In a split second, I took off, aiming at Master Serence with a lightning-fast quick attack. With a lazy half-turn, he'd placed his large armored tail between himself and the strike, casually deflecting my assault. I regained my footing, turning to strike at the slowbro with an open palm. Despite his impossible slowness, he had once again placed his tail between us, absorbing the shock of my force palm. I jumped back, catching my breath and sizing up the slowbro, looking for an opening.

Master Serence chuckled politely. "Your practice has been paying off. We are impressed." he said, gathering an orb of energy between his forepaws. He didn't as much throw it as he did toss it, yet it whirred through the air toward me with an uncanny speed.

I recognized the attack, of course. It was a focus blast, the least dangerous of Master Serence's moves. Gauging the attack's trajectory, I sidestepped and safely dodged out of its way.

Without skipping a beat, however, the slowbro had launched his next salvo, another focus blast aimed directly at me. I channeled aura into my palms and met the incoming attack head-on. Grinding my feet into the earth, I torqued my upper half, redirecting the orb and safely deflecting it.

I turned back to my opponent, catching my breath for a moment. Already, he was launching another attack: his eyes began glowing with an eerie light and the air around him began seething with energy.

This was psychic, Master Serence's most deadly attack. However, it also meant an opportunity for me. I immediately cleared my mind, reading the energy flowing between us. And in that moment, I sensed the mental assault, channeling my aura to deflect the technique.

Not missing a beat, I counterattacked, lunging at him with my claws. He met my shadow claws with an open paw, then pivoted on his foot, sending his tail roughly into my side.

I rolled with the blow, shaking off the worst of it. In a moment I was back on my feet, but that was more than enough of an opening for the slowbro. This time, he launched a blast of water from his mouth, keeping me on the defensive. There was just enough time for me to safely sidestep the attack. He'd anticipated as much, and immediately fired off another water pulse at me, once again forcing me to use my detect to dodge.

We continued exchanging attacks for a while until I was out of breath. Though I had improved much since we'd first began, I was always exhausted before Master Serence had even broken a sweat.

"Very good, Taern. Let us take supper now," he said, smiling at me.

One of the things Master Serence had taught me a bit about was cooking, and preparing supper was part of my daily chores. I began by adding some dry wood to the fire pit and lighting it. Next, I filled the cooking pot with clean water from the stream that flows into the campsite's spring. With the pot in place and the water heating, I started adding ingredients to make a stew. Along with figy and wiki berries, I added a few roots that I'd foraged that morning, as well as red algae from the stream and a handful of nuts from the trees in the surrounding glade. Before long, it had thickened up and was looking like a proper stew. I grabbed two bowls and served portions of the savory dish into both of them. I handed one to Master Serence, allowing him the first taste.

"Once again, we are impressed," he said after taking a sip from his bowl. "Although it could use more wiki berries."

"Master Serence, you always say that," I said, shaking my head at him.

"Is that so?" he mused at me.

"I'll see what I can do tomorrow," I muttered.

Master Serence took another sip of the savory stew. "The algae is good this season," the slowbro said appreciatively.

I nodded agreement. While it wasn't as naturally salty as algae from the sea, it added savory to the stew and had proteins which helped replenish our bodies after a long day of training.

After we'd finished, I rinsed the dishes in the nearby stream before rejoining Master Serence near the fire. I sat across from him, enjoying how the fire's gentle warmth contrasted the early autumn cool.

"You did very well today, Taern," the slowbro said pensively. "We are quite proud of the progress you've made."

That was the first time Master Serence had told me that he was proud of me. It left me at a loss for words, and I could feel my cheeks reddening.

"Err, thank you, master," I finally managed.

"You remind us of when we had just started learning," he said, chuckling to himself.

"Oh?"

"We were young once too, Taern," he said slowly.

I had to stifle a laugh as I tried to imagine what Master Serence was like as a young pokemon.

"We had a difficult time taking our training seriously. Although perhaps we weren't quite like you. Our strong point was meditation, and we lacked somewhat in sparring," he explained.

"I see." In truth, I wasn't entirely sure that our meditation sessions weren't glorified naps for Master Serence. However, when I wasn't taking it seriously, he always knew and corrected me accordingly. On the other hand, though, I had seen Master Serence napping once or twice, and he'd had the same vacant expression that he wore when meditating. "What inspired you to start training?" I asked curiously.

He was quiet for a moment, sorting through his memories for an answer. "There was a milotic I knew back then," he said slowly. "A beautiful creature, and I was perhaps more than a bit enamored with her. She was quite talented in aura use herself."

"You loved her?" I asked.

The slowbro chuckled at my question. "We were quite twitterpated with her, yes. But we know that such feelings fade over time. She inspired us to become what we are today. That is more gift than we deserved from her," he continued, chortling. "Anymore, we have better causes to use our talents for than romancing."

I nodded, processing what he meant. In truth, I didn't know much of anything about love. I remember that my parents cared for each other, and that they cared for me. And of course, Master Serence treated me as though I were his own son. But platonic love and romance were two entirely separate things.

"Thank you, master," I said softly.

The slowbro quirked his brow at me, listening.

"For taking me in," I finished, feeling my cheeks start to redden.

"Taern, come here," he said, patting the grass next to him.

I obliged, obediently sitting beside him. He patted me fondly on the head. "This is your home as long as you live," he assured me. "We will always welcome you with open arms."

We stayed like that for a little while, sitting by the fire, before he spoke to me again. "It is getting late. Go get some sleep," the slowbro said, patting me once more for good measure.

I nodded, rising to my feet. There were two simple huts erected not far from the fire pit. The larger of them belonged to Master Serence, the smaller of them to me. When he had first taken me in, he let me sleep in his hut—building the second had been one of the first things we'd done together, the very next day. It was cozy inside, intended more for practical purpose than anything else. I had only a handful of personal possessions, and a warm straw bed filled a corner of the hut. I laid down, feeling my exhaustion catching up with me. It was already dark out, and my cozy bed kept the autumn chill at bay. Before long, I was sound asleep.

* * *

The next morning, I got up and promptly attended to my morning chores. I'd begun foraging in the surrounding glade when a sound caught my attention, the crackle of a twig snapping. I turned toward the noise and approached cautiously, wondering what could navigate the wilds well enough to make it out here in one piece.

There, standing in the darkness cast by the glade's trees, was a young vulpix. It staggered forward another pace before collapsing on the ground.

"Master Serence," I called out, panic tinging my voice. Turning around to fetch him, I was surprised to see that he was already there. Despite being most characteristically slow, he could move fast when he needed to, even uncannily so. I made panicked motions toward the vulpix in front of us. "It-dthb-there's a fox," I told him.

The slowbro nodded, approaching the collapsed pokemon and carefully picked it up before taking it back to camp. He gathered a blanket and placed the fox down a few paces from the fire pit. "Make a broth for us," he requested politely.

As I began fretting about to gather the ingredients, Master Serence placed his paws over the unconscious pokemon and began channeling some of his psychic energy. This was the last of the slowbro's techniques and one I didn't recognize, as he very rarely had occasion to use it. The healing pulse he sent to the creature began mending its wounds, soothing its scratches and bruises. In moments, the fox no longer looked so battered, and its breathing had evened out with the peaceful rhythm of sleep.

By the time the broth I'd cooked was ready, our guest's eyes fluttered open.

"Ugh, where am I?" the vulpix asked. Judging by her voice, it was a female.

"You are safe," Master Serence assured her. "Taern, fetch us some of that broth."

I poured some broth into a bowl, passing it to him. He nodded in appreciation, then turned to his patient. "Here, drink," he instructed her. She did so, and in moments she already seemed revitalized.

"Careful, not too fast," Master Serence told her. "Taern, more broth," he said, passing me the bowl. I dutifully refilled the bowl and handed it back to him. The young vulpix drank the second serving more slowly, heeding the slowbro's words.

"This is our home," Master Serence explained to his patient. "You are welcome to our hospitality. Have you a name for us to call you by?"

The vulpix glanced at him, unsure what to think.

"We understand," he said patiently, "trust doesn't come immediately."

Her ears dropped back as she frowned. "Fiori," she said, her voice still somewhat hoarse.

Master Serence nodded to her before turning to me. "We will look after Fiori. You have the rest of the morning off," he told me.

"Yes, sir," I said, bowing respectfully. I scuttled away, a hundred different thoughts and emotions racing through my mind: who was she and how had she survived all the way out here in the wilds? Was it some sort of omen? What if it was a trap of some kind? Would I end up losing Master Serence like I'd lost my mother and father?

Forcing myself to breathe, I took a seat at my rock near the spring and tried clearing my mind as Master Serence had taught me. Fretting over the details wouldn't help. Not right now, at least.

I managed to meditate with middling success. When I'd finally run out of patience, I got to my feet, feeling a bit more clearheaded than before. Master Serence still hadn't called me over, so I proceeded to practice my forms as per usual. There was something cathartic about them, the way your muscles easily carried through the familiar movements. It was relaxing, in a way, perhaps not unlike the clarity that came through meditation.

"Taern," the slowbro finally called out, summoning me.

"We would like you to start dinner," he told me, regarding his dozing patient. "'And we would appreciate if you could make it easy for her to eat."

I nodded, then set about gathering the supplies. Roots were out of the question, but perhaps adding a few mago berries would be good. They were simple enough to find, and they were slightly easier on the palate than the spice of figy berries. With the ingredients gathered, I lit a fire and began adding the ingredients to the cooking pot one by one. Before long, the stew was ready, and the savory smell roused the dozing vulpix from her restful slumber.

Master Serence tasted the stew before nodding at me. "That will do, Taern." He turned to his patient, offering the bowl. "Here, drink up," he instructed her. The fox was hungry enough, and drank her portion of the stew. It was more substantial than the broth from earlier, though easy enough on the stomach.

After the three of us had eaten our fill, I rinsed out the bowls and returned to Master Serence and his patient.

"Taern, do you mind allowing our patient to sleep in your hut tonight? You can sleep in our hut instead." His voice was measured and reassuring.

Although the idea of giving up my bed to our guest didn't thrill me, I didn't mind too much. I nodded to him, eliciting a gentle smile from the slowbro.

"Thank you," he told me. "You've grown much since we first began your training."

"Yes, Master Serence," I said, feeling my cheeks turn red.

The slowbro gently picked up the recuperating vulpix and took her to my hut, tucking her into the cozy straw bed.

"We will retire. Come along," he instructed me.

Master Serence's hut was much roomier than mine, as was his bed. He curled up in the cozy straw and closed his eyes. I laid down next to him, reminded of the first night I'd stayed here. It was different, but still sort of nice.

"She has lost her memories," the slowbro told me matter-of-factly.

"Will she ever get them back?" I asked.

"We shall see," he said, gently patting me on the head. "Now then, sleep well, Taern."

"Good night, master," I said, yawning.

* * *

Master Serence and I awoke early the next morning. Fiori was still asleep by the time I had finished my daily chores. Content to let her sleep, he busied himself with my training. Like usual, we began with meditation, then moved into sparring. After that, we broke for a quick lunch before I started practicing my forms.

The sagacious slowbro spoke, breaking my concentration. "It appears our patient is awake," he said calmly. "Fiori, don't be a stranger. Come," he called out to her.

The vulpix shyly walked toward us and obediently sat next to him.

"Fiori, this is Taern," he told her. "He is our apprentice. No reason to be afraid of him."

She glanced at me cautiously. "You cook really well, Taern," she said, wagging her six tails.

I nodded to her. "Glad you liked it."

Her eyes lit up. "Can we play?" she asked hopefully.

"Err, I was practicing my forms," I said, glancing at Master Serence.

"It is fine," he mused. "A little activity will be good for her."

"Okay, come on," I said, jogging over toward the sparring grounds. "Do you know tag?" I asked my new playmate.

"Hmm? No... should I?"

"It's easy. I'll run away and you try to catch me," I explained. "Once you tag me, we'll switch and I'll chase you."

Her brown eyes lit up. "That sounds fun!"

"Okay, let's go." I sprang away, using my quick attack to put distance between us. She followed suit and easily kept pace behind me as I made a circuit through the sparring grounds. I slowed as I took a corner, and the vulpix pounced, tackling me playfully to the ground.

She giggled happily. "I think I like tag. It's a lot of fun," she exclaimed.

"You're pretty good," I said appreciatively. "Now it's your turn to run," I said, grinning.

I scrambled to my feet, and in an instant, the fox had taken off. She was fast, but before long, I managed to tag her in return. We went back and forth, taking turns and having fun like that until we had to stop and catch our breaths.

"So you can use quick attack too?" I asked her. I was reasonably sure she could, with how easily she'd kept up with me.

She shrugged at me. "I guess? I don't know," she said shyly.

"Do you know any other moves?"

"Err, I don't know," she said again, averting her gaze.

"We can spar a little bit. It might help you remember some of them," I told her helpfully.

"But... but that doesn't sound safe."

I glanced at Master Serence. He was watching us carefully, and nodded to me from his seat near the spring. "Trust me," I told her. "I spar enough with Master Serence that I know how to avoid getting hurt."

"You're sure? I won't hurt you or anything?" I could hear the concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Come on," I said, leading her back to the center of the sparring grounds.

She assumed a fighting stance and I took that as my cue. I sprung at her, depriving her the chance to strike first. The vulpix dodged using her own quick attack, circling back to the other side of the training area. A look of focus crossed her face as she blew a fiery wisp out of her mouth. It was a light-blue color, and it fluttered slowly through the air. I easily sidestepped the flare, but before I had a chance to counterattack, she launched another assault. This time, her eyes darkened and the air around her pulsed with energy before a cloud of darkness descended on me.

I channeled energy into my palm and whirled, dissipating the cloud and deflecting its energy. Seizing the opportunity, I lunged forward and tackled her from the side, sending the both of us tumbling.

"Are you okay?" I asked, untangling myself from her.

"I'll be fine," she said, catching her breath. "Y-you're really good, Taern." Her eyes twinkled with admiration.

I felt my face turning red. "No, it's nothing. Compared to Master Serence, I mean."

"Taern, Fiori," the slowbro interrupted us.

We approached him obediently, and he smiled at us both. "Very good, you two. It seems we have quite a talented guest with us," Master Serence mused. "Perhaps we can train her as well, until she regains her memories."

My ears pricked forward in alarm. "But master, we don't know how long—"

The slowbro glanced disapprovingly at me, cutting me off. "Is that so?" It was a look sour enough to curdle milk.

I turned my eyes to the ground, ashamed of my outburst.

"Fiori," he began, "would you be our apprentice, at least until you regain your memories?"

There was apprehension in her face, but her tails were wagging slightly to and fro.

"It is no trouble for us," the slowbro assured her. "This can be your home for as long as you need."

"I—err," she started. Feeling her face redden, she hid it behind her tails. "I would like that," she barely managed.

"Good," he said slowly. Then, to me, "Taern, get dinner started, and show Fiori around the campsite."

"Yes, sir." I beckoned the vulpix to follow, and started by showing her the stream, the foraging spots, and where the various utensils and other supplies were stored.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it soon," I told her.

"Yeah." I could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "It's just a lot to take in."

I nodded understandingly to her. "Give it time."

Before long, the supplies had been gathered and we'd started a fire to cook with.

"The nuts and algae add protein," I explained patiently to her. "And the algae adds salt to the stew. The rest of the ingredients add flavor and texture."

She nodded, intently listening to my lecture.

Dinner was shortly done and the three of us ate heartily.

"It was more filling than last night's stew," Fiori said, looking at me.

"Yeah, a bit more substantial, to be sure," I replied.

"Spicier, too."

"Hmm. Yeah, last night's stew didn't have figy berries in it," I explained. "I take it you preferred the mago berries, then?" I asked, glancing sidelong at her.

She nodded agreement. "They were sweet," she said, wagging her fluffy tails.

"I see," I said, making a mental note.

The sagacious slowbro turned to me. "Fiori will sleep in your hut again tonight. We will gather the materials to erect another hut tomorrow."

I nodded obediently. "Yes, sir."

It was getting dark, and like the night before, the three of us retired to our respective huts. There would be a decent amount of work tomorrow, which meant it was important to be well-rested.

"She has a talent for aura," Master Serence explained to me. "That dark cloud she used on you, it was a dark pulse."

"Dark pulse?" Like Master Serence's water pulse and healing pulse, dark pulse was an attack that channeled aura energy. The slowbro was impressed enough to apprentice her, which surely meant something.

"Yes. She is still rough around the edges. Please be kind to her," he said gently.

"Yes, Master Serence."

Closing my eyes, I wrestled with various doubts. I still didn't know what her arrival meant, or why it had happened. Despite my anxiety, I eventually fell asleep.

* * *

Fiori and I set out to forage supplies the next morning, and I made sure to gather a few mago berries. We took them back to camp, stopping to eat a breakfast of berries and roots.

Once the daily chores were done, the three of us began the task of acquiring and assembling materials for another hut. It took the duration of the day, but it was complete before dinnertime. We fashioned some of the straw leftover from the thatch roof into a cozy straw bed. Aside from that, the hut was unfurnished, as she had no possessions to her name.

"I like it," she said brightly.

"It is your home," Master Serence said, smiling at his new apprentice. "Take care of it," he instructed her.

That night, I got to sleep in my bed once again, but it smelled a little like her. It wasn't a bad smell, really, but it bothered me a little. She'd only been with us three days, but it already felt like she was taking Master Serence away from me. The young vulpix was so clueless that he couldn't help but dote on her. It reminded me of when I had first come to live with him. A tiny voice in my head kept telling me that I couldn't compete with her, the new student. The sort of thought you know is silly, but troubles you no less.

I finally felt exhaustion begin drawing me to sleep. We would resume training tomorrow, and I needed all the rest I could get. If I wanted Master Serence to praise me again, I would just have to try harder at training. When he saw that I was better than her, he would no doubt tell me how proud I made him. That would be enough, surely. Reassured, I finally fell asleep.

* * *

The next day, Fiori joined me once again to complete the daily chores. Once we'd finished and eaten breakfast, we joined Master Serence at the spring. I took my usual seat, and Fiori found a rock on the other side of Master Serence. She imitated us, relaxing herself and closing her eyes.

"So this is meditation?" she asked the slowbro.

He nodded patiently. "This is meditation."

"Why do we do it?"

"It helps build our focus and clear our mind," he explained to her.

"How long do we do it?" the young vulpix was already antsy.

I snorted derisively at her comment.

"Taern," Master Serence said sternly, shaking his head. "Don't forget, you were once new to this as well."

"Yes, sir," I said sheepishly before resuming my focus.

It wasn't long before the silence was broken again. "Master Serence, can I play with Taern again?" Fiori's voice chimed.

The slowbro chuckled, smiling beatifically at his newest apprentice. "We suppose it can't be helped," he mused. "Taern, can you spar with Fiori again today?"

"Of course, master."

Once again, I led Fiori to the sparring grounds and took my position. Master Serence oversaw our match, correcting the vulpix's posture and technique as needed. We went back and forth, taking turns pressing the attack before switching to the defensive. By the time the vulpix was out of breath, I'd barely broken a sweat.

Master Serence nodded his approval at Fiori. "Very good. Step back and catch your breath," he told her. He stepped forward, taking her place in the sparring grounds, glancing at me. "Ready for another round, Taern?"

I smirked, coiling like a spring and lunging at him. Like before, he more than easily deflected each of my attacks before forcing me to step back and take the defensive. This time, he didn't let up, continually launching a barrage of blasts, pulses, and psychics until I was run ragged. Sidestepping one of his focus blasts, I tripped, falling to the ground as the seething orb grazed my shoulder. I winced, gasping for breath. While it had only grazed me, the blow had stung quite a bit.

"Fiori, your turn," he said, nodding at the now-rested vulpix.

She glanced uncertainly at him, then to me.

"Don't worry about hurting him, he's a lot tougher than me," I told her.

She nodded, assuming an offensive stance and steeling herself. Before she could attack, Master Serence launched a water pulse at her, forcing her to scramble out of its way. Regaining her footing, she darted to the side, setting herself up to lunge at him. The slowbro deflected the attack with his characteristic ease.

"Good work," he encouraged her. "Defense is the most important part, the rest follows later." He gathered energy between his paws, punctuating his sentence with a barrage of focus blasts. The assault sent the vulpix skittering away in a panic, and she almost lost her footing. The slowbro kept pressing his assault, forcing her to use her quick attack to dodge. Before long, she was as breathless as I was.

"Now then," Master Serence began, "we can play some more, or we can move on to forms."

"Err, I am too tired to play anymore," Fiori said, catching her breath.

Part of me wanted to out-do her, but I had to agree. "Forms sound good to me," I concurred.

We spent the rest of the morning moving through forms, with Master Serence correcting and offering instruction where he could. By lunchtime, Fiori and I were starving and exhausted. The break was welcome and felt like it didn't last nearly long enough.

When we resumed, it was back to meditation, and this time Fiori was content to wait in silence. It appeared she had taken Master Serence's lesson to heart, and that she could be fairly patient when she tried.

After that, the slowbro drilled us on forms once more before overseeing another sparring match. By the time we retired that evening, Fiori and I could hardly move. I knew we would be sore the next morning, but that was always the best kind of sore. It meant that we were getting better.

* * *

The next several weeks passed similarly. Fiori was showing steady improvement, and Master Serence had begun pushing my skill to new levels as well. He'd finished my lessons on footprint runes, and had started spending evenings teaching Fiori. Though time had passed, it still felt like he was doting on the young vulpix. No matter how much improvement I showed, it was always about her instead of me. It was a defeating thought, regardless of its legitimacy. My head told me it was a necessary part of her guidance and nurturing, but I still couldn't help but feel jealous.

One evening, we'd finished dinner and Master Serence had just begun Fiori's rune lessons. I took the dishes to the stream to clean them. Before I could leave, something in the stream caught my eye. I reached into the water and carefully grabbed it. Turning it over in my paws, it glinted in the evening light. To my surprise, it was a tiny pearl. While freshwater mollusks weren't as common as the saltwater sort, a few of them lived in this stream. But this was the first time I'd seen a pearl here.

"Taern? Everything alright?" a bright voice chimed from somewhere behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Fiori not far away. "What is it?" I asked, frowning. Something about her was different, and I didn't like it. Whatever it was, it made me feel agitated and irritable. More so than she usually made me, at least.

"It's getting late and I asked Master Serence if I could help you with the dishes," she said, her tails swishing merrily behind her.

"I can handle it," I told her, waving dismissively at the young vulpix.

Regardless, she trotted up and sat neatly beside me. Her eyes lit up as she saw the pearl in my paw. "Ooh, what's that?" she gasped.

"It's a pearl," I explained to her.

"It's so... shiny," she cooed, wagging her tails.

I sighed in exasperation. "If I let you have it, will you leave me alone?" I said, not bothering to look at her.

"Err, what?" she asked, confused.

I dropped the bauble on the ground and gathered up the dishes before heading back to camp, not bothering to wait for her.

Once I'd set the dishes out to dry, I retired to my hut and curled up in my bed, trying to forget the frustration I felt. It was another drop in the bucket—another day like the ones before. Though to be perfectly honest, it might have been slightly worse, as I'd been much more flustered around Fiori than usual. Maybe I would have a chance to talk to Master Serence, or maybe it was something meditation could fix.

A familiar voice drew me from my reverie. "Taern, are you sure it's okay for me to keep this?" Fiori asked quietly.

Batting open an eye, I saw her outline in the darkness. She was standing outside of my hut, with the tiny pearl glinting between her forepaws.

"It's fine," I muttered, letting my eye drift shut again. "Now go to bed."

"Thank you," she said quietly. I could hear her tails swishing behind her. The fox gently grabbed the pearl in her teeth and padded to her hut.

I shrugged dismissively to myself. If she wanted to make something out of it, she could. At the end of the day, it was just a rock, right? I screwed my eyes shut and stretched, wishing I would fall asleep soon.


	2. A Dozen Naughty Things to do With Vulpix

During our afternoon sparring the next day, Fiori was different. She seemed more playful, like when we'd first played tag several weeks ago. But it wasn't even quite that. It was as though she was trying to catch my attention for some reason. That was a stupid thought, of course. After all, she was my rival. We exchanged blows, and soon enough, we'd worn each other out. Despite the physical exertion, the frustration I'd felt the previous day hadn't abated. If anything, it was worse. To the point that I could feel it seething in my body.

I glanced at Master Serence, catching my breath. "Can I go take a quick rinse at the stream?"

He nodded affirmative. "Be quick, or you will miss dinner."

"Of course, Master Serence," I said, and headed to the stream at a brisk jog.

Despite the chilly autumn air, the stream hadn't cooled me off but in the slightest. It was like a murky fog had set in on my mind, making my thoughts and senses hazy. I lingered at the stream for a while, trying to clear my head with some fresh air.

"Taern, hurry up," Fiori's voice chimed from behind me.

Was the weird sensation... coming from her? I took another deep breath, but that only intensified the haziness. I placed a paw to my head, stifling a groan.

Unable to get a rise out of me, the young vulpix pounced, tackling me to the ground. "Come on, slowpoke," she teased.

My paws reflexively strayed to her narrow hips and I took a deep breath, shuddering from the intensity of the feeling that radiated from her. I rolled the two of us over and pinned the vulpix beneath me, inhaling her scent and feeling the haze thicken.

"Taern?" she asked, confused.

I let my eyes rove across her body, devouring her with my gaze. "Fiori, you smell really nice," I said dreamily. This close to her, a scent like the metallic tang of iron pervaded my nostrils, making my blood feel as though it would boil.

My relentless gaze soon had the vulpix blushing furiously. "Taern, stop," she insisted.

"You know," I began, pressing my knees against her sides, "I have seniority between the two of us. Since we're not at camp, that makes me kind of like your master, doesn't it?" I mused, nuzzling against her neck.

She gasped, startled by my behavior. "Taern, what are you doing?" she asked, alarmed.

"I don't want to hurt you," I told her, licking my lips. "It's just that you smell _really_ nice right now and it's driving me kind of crazy." Placing a paw softly to her cheek, I leaned in and kissed her, enjoying the taste of her lips. The stolen kiss left Fiori speechless, yet she quivered faintly beneath my grasp. I could feel the blood pumping into my dick as it pressed softly into the silky fur of her stomach.

The fox yelped in surprise, turning beet red. "Taern, why-" I cut her off with another gentle kiss. She trembled below me, but didn't resist.

"If you're a really good girl, master will give you a treat," I murmured huskily into her ear. "It will be nice, I promise." I nuzzled against the curve of her neck, enjoying the sensation of her squirming underneath me. The contact between us felt electric, urging me onward. I wanted her. I wasn't sure why, but I wanted her desperately. "Please," I pleaded, gazing into her eyes. "Please."

The vulpix shivered once more before she finally yielded, no longer squirming. I crawled forward, hanging my throbbing meat in front of her face. Her breath was hot against its flesh, making me want to scream. "Come on, be a good girl," I insisted. She was too conflicted to oblige, so I gently pulled back her lips and slid into the folds of her warm jowels. Fiori gasped, savoring the taste and scent of my blood-filled member. She trembled beneath me, lightly pressing her forepaws against my stomach, still very confused. I massaged my dick within her jowels for several moments, eliciting a gasp from the fox as I dribbled a tiny quantity of musky precum down her throat. She finally relaxed her jaw, properly taking my throbbing sex into her mouth. It was hot, and I groaned as she suckled gingerly on me, licking the tip of my tapered shaft. I let it continue for a few minutes before drawing out of her mouth.

"You taste nice," she panted, flushing with embarrassment.

I drew her in, once more kissing her on the lips. "You taste nice, _master_ ," I corrected her.

"You taste nice, master," she said obediently, her voice sounding quite small.

Backing a pace away from her, I once more began devouring her with my gaze. She laid submissively on her back, her hind legs splayed to either side. It granted me a clear view of her black, velvety pussy-lips, filling me with need and desire. They were puffy and had already begun dribbling moisture with anticipation.

It hit me like a sack of bricks. "Fiori, are you in heat?" I asked dumbly.

"I-I don't know," she stammered. "D-did I do something wrong?" she whimpered meekly.

I pressed into her again, kissing her reassuringly. "No, not at all. If you're a good girl, master will scratch that itch for you." I bit her neck gently, eliciting a cute cry from the fox beneath me.

"Wh-why, Taern?" she asked, squirming weakly against me.

"Come on now, stand up," I said, nudging her encouragingly. She obeyed, and I guided her to a nearby tree, pressing her front-first into it. The fox stood on her hind legs, bracing herself on the tree with her forepaws.

"Stick your butt out," I directed her. The vulpix, still scared and confused, didn't comply with my request. Placing my paws on her hips, I guided them back and fixed her posture. Leaning into her, I took another deep breath, basking in the blood-scented pheromones of her estrous. "Very, very good," I murmured to her. I began teasingly rubbing my meat against her virgin entrance, making her gasp and quiver timidly.

Paws still guiding her hips, I properly aligned the tip of my blood-filled shaft with her dripping cunny. "Be a good girl for master," I cooed in her ear. Gently, I pressed forward, sheathing my tapered dick in her love-tunnel. She cried out meekly as I ripped through her hymen, but her estrous-riddled body welcomed me gladly. Beads of blood ran down the base of my member, mingling with the juices of the vixen's arousal. I paused to revel in her intense warmth, and leaned forward to lick her cheek affectionately. The vulpix began panting harder and pressed against the tree. I began thrusting slowly into her, and her muscles reflexively grasped my intruding member.

I chuckled darkly. "Fiori, you're even panting like a whore," I teased, before again nuzzling the curve of her neck.

She shuddered, a small whimper escaping her throat. "M-master, please," she pleaded, "I-I'm not a whore."

Once more, I thrust into her, and this time the fox rewarded me with a moan. "That's a good girl," I said smugly. "Let master scratch that itch for you."

"Aah, m-master," she whimpered softly. Her ears dropped back yieldingly and she screwed her eyes shut. With each thrust, I pushed her against the tree, enjoying the warmth of her fluffy tails against my stomach. I continued fucking her from behind for several minutes, relishing her moans and the wet _shlick_ noise her body kept making.

Nipping her shoulder playfully, I drew out of her warm hole and took a step back. "Now lay down," I instructed her.

She turned around and obediently laid on her back, once more granting an inviting view of her sex, slick with our combined fluids. I kneeled and grabbed her legs, once again lining up her cunt with my prick.

"This way we can see each other," I murmured, leaning down to kiss her again. Like before, I began grinding my dick against her puffy entrance, and was rewarded with a gasp from my companion. "Good girl," I said, smiling crookedly at her.

There was no resistance as I once again slid my tapered cock into her warm pussy. I stifled a groan and leaned into her, breathing heavily against her neck. "Now wrap your legs around me," I directed her.

She complied, hooking her hind legs around my waist and wrapping her forelegs around my neck. Her breath was hot on my cheek, and once again, her skin felt electric as it pressed against me. I leaned forward, pressing her into the ground as I fucked her. The vulpix cried out in response, gripping her legs tighter around me.

"M-master, please," she begged, tears welling in the corner of her eyes.

"Fiori, you're so good," I murmured, kissing her. With each thrust, I could feel her tight hole clenching around the length of my member, lovingly stroking and caressing it. I unwrapped her hind legs from my waist, and grabbed them, using the leverage to fuck her harder. The mounting pleasure was too much for me and I began rutting into her, panting loudly.

"Taern, stop," she cried meekly. "It hurts."

The sound of her cry pushed me over the edge, and I pulled out just before I came, shooting ropes of semen across her flat stomach.

"Mmm, that's a good girl," I whispered huskily. "Now clean your master," I told her, pressing my throbbing meat toward her mouth.

She hesitated for several moments before obediently licking me clean. Once she'd finished, the fox glanced demurely up at me. "Taern, why do you hate me so much?" she asked quietly. Tears began rolling down her cheeks as she could no longer hold them back.

"What?" I asked, blinking dazedly at her.

"Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry if I did," she managed, fighting every urge she had to sob.

"You were wonderful," I told her, softly stroking her cheek.

"But why did it hurt?" she cried, pleading at me with her eyes.

"I didn't mean for it to be like that." I frowned at her. "It's just that you smell really nice and I couldn't help myself," I explained, beginning to feel like a jerk.

She was quiet for several moments, fighting back her tears. "I-it was nice for master?" she asked quietly.

"Of course," I assured her. "Incredible."

"And you don't hate me?" She glanced at me with her big brown eyes.

"I could never hate you, Fiori," I told her.

She allowed herself the faintest of smiles as she looked up at me, her ears dropped back in submission. "If it made master feel nice, then it's okay that it hurt a little bit," she said, her tails swishing gently back and forth.

The vulpix leaned into me, kissing me firmly. Her breath was hot, and I savored the taste of her tongue against mine. She drew away, then sat down next to me. Carefully, she began grooming herself, licking the fluids off of her stomach and thighs. Once finished, she glanced back at me and smiled shyly. "Maybe master can be a little more gentle next time?"

"Yes, of course," I said, patting her fondly on the head. "We should probably head back to camp. I hope Master Serence isn't too upset with us."

"Me too," she agreed.

The two of us hurried back to the spring, where Master Serence was waiting patiently by the fire pit. "Welcome back, you two. We considered starting by ourselves," he said slowly.

We joined him around the fire, either of us blushing furiously. I grabbed the bowls, serving some stew for the three of us. Once we'd finished, it was already quite dark and the slowbro retired for the night. I quickly rinsed out the dishes before setting them out to dry, then headed to my own hut.

Fiori was curled up in my bed, and her face brightened the instant she saw me. I chuckled, seeing the enthusiasm on her face. The vulpix blushed and averted her gaze, her ears dropping back meekly.

"Err," she stammered quietly. "Can I sleep next to you tonight, master?"

I plopped down next to her in my bed and yawned, stretching from head to toe. The young vulpix cuddled up beside me, pressing her warm body against mine. Taking a deep breath, I felt her pheromones begin kindling a fire in my belly. But I was too tired for any more, at least tonight. Wrapping an arm around her, I planted a kiss on her forehead. "Of course," I told her.

* * *

Fiori nudged me awake the next morning, her warm breath gently caressing my face.

"Taern," she crooned sweetly at me. "Wake up, Taern."

I opened my eyes and saw her looking at me expectantly. "Good morning, Fiori," I said, yawning.

She pressed into me, kissing me on the lips. Before I could respond, she glanced pointedly down at her leg, where my morning wood pressed happily against her velvety fur. The young vulpix bit her lip, glancing back up into my eyes. "Do you want me to make you feel good again, master?"

My eyes nearly bulged out of my head in response to her question. "Uh, you don't have to-" I stammered. "It's just an autonomous reaction, I swear!"

"You mean you don't want me?" she asked, pouting at me.

"Of course I want you, especially when you smell like this," I said, hugging her tightly. Again, the blood-scented pheromones began filling my nostrils and fogging up my thoughts.

"Master Serence is still asleep," she insisted. "We can do it before he wakes up," she suggested hopefully.

She made a very convincing argument. I nuzzled into her neck affectionately. "If you say so, Fiori," I murmured sleepily.

"I _do_ say so," she insisted. With that, the vulpix pressed me flat onto my back and sat on my stomach, straddling me.

"Oof," I gasped, surprised by her boldness. It seemed that I had managed to kindle something inside of the vixen, and now she was determined to quench her body's need. The previous night, I had failed to properly scratch her heat-induced itch. The look of determination in her eyes told me she wouldn't accept that outcome again.

Need and desire tinging her features, Fiori began slowly grinding her petite butt against my blood-filled shaft. With each motion, I felt my member brushed and teased by her soft, lustrous tails. I shivered beneath her, once again swimming in the haze of her spicy pheromones. Placing my paws on her flat stomach, I began fondling her cute teats, eliciting a soft moan from the fox.

"Alright," she said uncertainly, gazing into my eyes.

I pulled her close, kissing her reassuringly. Moving my paws to her narrow hips, I gently lifted her, aligning my dick with her dribbling honeypot.

Fiori pressed downward, biting her lip as she hilted herself on my tapered prick. She crooned sweetly, enjoying the sensation of my cock filling her love-tunnel. The vulpix began experimentally grinding side to side on my lap, her warm pussy clenching down on my dick all the while.

"Mmm," she murmured softly, closing her eyes. A beatific smile graced her face as she began rocking forward and back, pleasuring herself on my prick. As she continued fucking me, my shaft brushed along her sensitive clitty, heightening her ecstasy. She gasped, falling forward and pressing her paws into my chest.

I drew her close and kissed her again, drawing the vulpix out of her reverie. Her eyes fluttered open and she kissed me back, taking my tongue into her mouth. She tasted spicy-sweet, and just a little bit like the metallic tang of her iron. I continued kissing her as she gently fucked me, her channel clenching gratefully around my warm cockflesh. The fox adjusted her position so my length brushed against her tiny pleasure-button with every thrust, sending shivers through her body. The vixen's sweet moans, the vivid warmth of her body, and the needy pheromones of her heat worked in tandem, enthralling me. Our love-making continued for minutes, her spell intensifying until I thought I would break.

Before I could, Fiori collapsed onto my chest, too weak to continue. She nuzzled her face against me, her warm breath dancing along my skin. "Master," she whined softly. Firmly grabbing her hips, I began thrusting into her, picking up the slack. She wrapped her legs around me tightly, cooing as I fucked her closer to orgasm.

"M-master, it feels so—aah" she cried out cutely, breathing hotly on my neck. Her body tensed as she came, and a gush of girl cum spattered onto my thighs. The vulpix's scream was muffled against the side of my neck, hopefully enough that Master Serence hadn't heard. Her love-tunnel began grasping and squeezing my length with a vengeance until I couldn't last any longer. With a final thrust, I plunged as far into her as possible and came, spilling my load into her womb. Wrapping my arms around her, I held the lovely vulpix tightly as our orgasms subsided.

Fiori continued panting against me, her breath achingly hot against my face. "M-master, that was so good," she said sweetly, cuddling closer to me. She let out a contented sigh, nuzzling against my chest. "I'm really happy you don't hate me."

I ran a paw lovingly across her cheek. "Me too," I told her. "I'd been kind of terse with you. In fact, I was being kind of a jerk," I admitted. "I'm sorry, Fiori."

She watched me thoughtfully for a moment before responding. "Since I came here, I've admired you. For weeks, I thought that master didn't like me back. But he does now, and it makes me happy," she concluded, licking my face fondly.

I smiled at the sweet vulpix. "The sun will be up soon. Should you head back to your hut, or-" I trailed off, seeing the sad look on Fiori's face. "I guess we could go take a quick bath and stretch," I suggested.

She nodded, removing myself from her lap. I winced as my sensitive prick slid out of warm hole, met by the harsh chill of the morning air. The two of us headed toward the nearby stream, stretching blood into our limbs as we went. Once we were bathed and properly clean, we headed back to camp just as dawn was breaking.

I sat down next to the spring, and my vulpix companion sat down beside me, leaning into my shoulder. The sun began eking its way above the eastern mountains, with the trees on the edge of camp casting elongated shadows.

"It's really pretty," Fiori said mildly.

I placed my paw over hers, lightly squeezing it. "Not as pretty as you, Fiori."

She tittered playfully. "Master thinks I am pretty?" she asked, nuzzling against my arm.

"Yeah," I said, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Very much so."

We were able to watch the entire sunrise before Master Serence woke up. Afterward, we went about our morning chores, and I made sure to gather up a few mago berries for Fiori.

Once we'd begun our morning meditation, I had a difficult time concentrating. Despite Master Serence's presence between us, I couldn't help but smell the spicy pheromones of the fox's heat.

I somehow managed to make it through in one piece, after which came the morning sparring session. And as usual, he asked us two apprentices to spar.

Fiori was more playful than even after I'd given her that pearl. She would wiggle flirtatiously at me, grin mischievously, and several times she even went as far as lifting her tails to grant me an enticing view of her puffy sex. The vixen took every available opportunity to stand upwind of me, intoxicating me with her feminine musk. Between the stupefying pheromones and her flirting, I ended up tripping over myself time and time again. Without fail, she would tackle me, making sure to press close just enough to get a rise out of me. And somehow, all this she did while still sparring most earnestly.

The two of us seemed content not to care whether Master Serence knew. He could be slow on the uptake, but the way Fiori was flagging her tail at me had to have been painfully obvious. Regardless of any anxieties regarding our secret, the two of us had a lot of fun sparring. She'd made a bumbling fool out of me, but for once I didn't mind being outmatched. The exercise was good, and by the time we broke for lunch, I felt more clearheaded than before.

After we'd eaten, Master Serence oversaw us practice forms, then the three of us began afternoon meditation, as usual. The last portion of it was nearly unbearable, as I find myself looking forward to another sparring match with Fiori. Just as I felt I was at my breaking point, Master Serence arose from his reverie. The slowbro nodded to us, so Fiori and I took to the sparring grounds and started round two.

While she was just as captivating as before, I did my best to return the favor, capitalizing on every chance to pounce on her or accidentally brush her erogenous zones. Since her estrous made her whole body sensitive, even the most innocent of touches would get a rise out of the vixen. I knew that she felt a compulsion toward me, even if it wasn't nearly as strong as the effect her pheromones had on me. By the time we were done sparring, both of us were hot and flushed, straining to catch our breaths.

I made stew for dinner, making sure to add some mago berries to sweeten it. My concoction turned out well enough, and by the time we'd finished eating, the three of us were newly rejuvenated.

Master Serence turned to Fiori. "We should begin your footprint rune lesson," he told her.

The vulpix glanced at him, melancholy tracing the lines of her face. "Master Serence, I was hoping I could watch the sunset with Taern," she said, blushing.

"Is that so?" he asked, blinking slowly. He was quiet for several moments before chuckling. "We suppose it can't be helped. You are both done for the day." With that, he shuffled toward the edge of the spring and dipped his tail in, dozing off.

Fiori and I quickly rinsed the dishes before returning to camp. We sat against the outside of her hut, watching the sun slowly pass over the western mountains. It wasn't the best seating, but the company more than made up for that.

It had grown dark and Master Serence eventually retired to his hut. Fiori promptly led me into her cozy abode. I saw the tiny pearl I'd given her glinting next to her straw bed, and I couldn't help but smile. She was such a sweet girl, she made me want to be a better pokemon. One more deserving of her.

The young vixen sprawled out in her bed and cast me a come-hither look, her ears dropped back submissively. "Master," she crooned.

With satisfaction, I straddled her, pressing my growing erection along the silky fur of her stomach. I leaned in to kiss her, feeling her hot breath on my face. Then I turned my attention to her body. Foreplay wasn't necessary, as our earlier sparring sessions had been nearly too much for her to bear—she was already dribbling moisture from her swollen pussy-lips. I scooted backward, and began grinding my shaft along her sex, coating it with her juices.

Once we were satisfactorily wet, I aligned my prick and pushed inside of her, making my fiery lover gasp in pleasure. She wrapped her hind legs around my waist and I leaned in to kiss her sweetly. I placed one of my paws along her flat tummy and fondled her sensitive teats as I gently fucked her. The vulpix writhed beneath me, her walls lovingly clenching along the length of my tapered cock.

"Master, i-is it nice?" Fiori asked, her warm breath caressing my face.

I began placing kisses along the curve of her neck as I continued thrusting into her grasping love-tunnel. Moving my mouth to her ear, I breathed against it, making the vulpix squirm and grip harder against me.

"I would even m-moan like a whore, if it made master want me," she cooed seductively.

I licked her cheek affectionately, then picked up the pace and began fucking her harder. Each thrust pressed her into the straw bed beneath her, stimulating her overly-sensitive body. She dropped her ears back, and sure enough she began moaning into my ear.

Her breath was hot against my neck and the sound of her moaning was almost too much for me. I continued fucking her warm hole as long as I could until I felt my orgasm closing in. Placing my paws on her narrow hips, I pumped her up and down against my prick, using her like a cock sleeve. Fiori cried out cutely as I rutted into her tight cunt, and her body clenched as she climaxed beneath me. Her fiery body spasmed, lovingly clenching, grasping, and milking my dick for all it was worth. I cried out, plunging deep inside of her as I came, painting her walls white.

Collapsing against my vulpine lover, I stopped to catch my breath before pulling out of her. I licked her cheek again, making her giggle at me. Cozying up next to her in the straw bed, I buried my face against the velvety fur of her neck, basking in the comforting scent of her spicy pheromones. Fiori snuggled me back, pressing as much of her warm body against me as she could.

"Can we be like this forever, master?" she asked.

I hugged her, holding the vulpix close. "Yeah," I said fondly. "Let's do that, Fiori."

The two of us reveled in our post-coital bliss, and soon enough we'd both fallen fast asleep.

* * *

Fiori and I woke up well-rested the next morning, and by the time we were done with the daily chores, Master Serence had risen.

The slowbro beckoned me over, waiting patiently for me. "Taern, there is something we require of you," he said slowly.

I nodded, unsure what he wanted to ask me.

"There is a settlement three days' journey north of here. We have a friend whom we must deliver something to," Master Serence explained. "But we are too old to make the journey ourself," he concluded.

I frowned, and my glance strayed over his shoulder, to Fiori. The fox was sorting out berries and other ingredients she'd foraged earlier.

Master Serence nodded sympathetically to me. "We understand how you feel about her, Taern. We have no choice but to petition this of you. However, she is too inexperienced to come along."

"Right," I muttered, trying to psych myself up. "I'll do it, Master Serence. I leave this morning?"

He shook his head. "We will allow you to go tomorrow," he said mildly.

I bowed respectfully to him. "Thank you, Master Serence." That gave me another night with Fiori before I had to go, which meant a lot to me. And probably to her, too.

The slowbro smiled at me. "Once again, Taern, you make us proud."

I could feel my cheeks redden from the compliment, and took it as my dismissal. The rest of the day progressed not unlike the day before, up until after dinner. I took the dishes out to the stream to rinse them when Fiori caught up to me.

"Taern," she said, pressing up beside me.

"Hey," I said, smiling at her.

"Did you need help with the dishes at all?"

I shook my head. "No, I just finished washing them. But there was something I needed to tell you."

"Hmm? Is master ready to confess his undying love for me?" she asked, smiling coyly.

"No, not that," I chuckled at her comment. "Not yet, at least. It's just that Master Serence asked me to go on a trip for him. I'll be leaving tomorrow," I told her.

"Oh," she sighed glumly. "How long will master be gone?"

"Six days. Seven at the most."

Fiori's features darkened with disappointment, her face a cute moue.

I leaned into the fox, kissing her apologetically.

"Promise?" she asked. I could see the pleading in her big brown eyes. It was enough to make my heart ache for her.

"I promise," I reassured her.

She glanced understandingly at me, then once again nuzzled into my arm. "Since you'll be busy tomorrow morning, can we say our goodbyes tonight?"

"Master would very much like that," I said, scratching behind her ears.

Her face brightened, and she padded over to the tree I'd taken her at two days before.

Carefully placing the dishes on the stream's bank where they wouldn't wash away, I stood and joined her.

Fiori pounced on me, catching me off guard and pinning me against the tree. The playful vulpix leaned into me, kissing me firmly on the lips. She broke away, letting her taste linger in my mouth before going down on me, licking the length of my hardening member.

I braced myself against the tree, trying not to cry out. The vixen was quite talented with her tongue, much more so than the first time I had fucked her. Once she'd teased every inch of the throbbing red flesh, the fox took my length into her mouth, sucking and massaging it with her rough tongue.

"Good girl," I managed, placing a paw on the back of her head. "Very good girl."

She continued pleasuring me until she heard my breath quickening. The vixen drew back, casting me a sultry glance.

"Please, master," she said demurely, "take me from behind."

I climbed to my feet and the two of us exchanged positions. Fiori stood on her hind legs and faced against the tree, just like she had when I'd first despoiled her.

Leaning into her, I inhaled her blood-scented pheromones, relishing the high they gave me. She lifted her tails, and I obliged her, sliding my length against her velvety pussy. My cock was soon slick with her fluids and I took that as my cue, pressing into her warm hole.

"Aah," she gasped. "M-master, fuck me," she pleaded.

I grasped her hips and thrust roughly into her, pinning the fox against the tree. Fiori closed her eyes and panted loudly, her ears dropped back meekly. I thrust into her again, and soon I'd set a steady rhythm, roughly fucking the vulpix precisely as she had begged me to. Biting her neck gently, I was pleased to hear the vixen moan in pleasure.

"Keep that up and we'll have an audience in no time," I teased her.

"No," she stammered. "I don't want to share master with anyone," she squeaked defiantly.

Aroused by her own submissive behavior, Fiori's scent intensified—to the point where I could taste it. I held out as long as I could, fucking my yielding lover closer and closer to orgasm. It was not the sweet moans or the satisfying _shlick_ sounds her body made that sent me over the edge, but the vulpix's intoxicating musk. Her pheromones infused my senses, driving me more and more wild. I was soon rutting, hammering into her cunny and slamming her against the tree.

Fiori cried out each time, moaning as her slick love-tunnel desperately tried to keep up. "M-master," she cried out. Her vulpine body tensed as she climaxed, sending a torrent of her fluids spattering against my thighs. The vixen's pussy went berserk, her warm walls contracting around my cock in submissive bliss. With a renewed determination, I fucked her, aching to fill her channel with the baby-batter it craved.

I cried out as I came, plunging into her fiery depths and spilling my seed inside of her. The two of us rode our orgasms down, catching our breaths. I pulled out of her abused cunt, pleased at the lovely puddle of juices she was dripping beneath her.

"Master," she cooed, looking over her shoulder at me.

I licked her cheek fondly, taking another whiff of her heady pheromones. Leaning into her once more, I appreciated the sensation of her silky body against mine.

"And here I recall you asking master to be more gentle," I teased her softly.

Her face brightened momentarily, but then tears began welling up in her eyes. "Master, please don't go," she pleaded.

I placed my paw over hers, stroking it lovingly. "I'm so sorry," I told her.

The tears began rolling down her cheeks as the vixen started sobbing.

"Hush now," I said, embracing her warmly. "I'll make it up to you when I get back."

Fiori hiccuped, then giggled cheerfully at me. She began slowly grinding her soft butt against my groin. "Promise," she crooned softly.

"I promise," I told her, squeezing the vulpix fondly.

"Thank you," she whispered happily.

A blissful sigh escaped my lips as I nuzzled against her lustrous neck.

"We should head back to camp," I finally said, letting go of her.

She nodded, but I could see the disappointment in her face.

The two of us rinsed off in the stream before climbing out. I grabbed the dishes we'd washed earlier and we both headed back to camp.

"Can we sleep in my bed tonight, Taern?" Fiori asked sheepishly. "I want to be able to smell you when you're gone," she explained, blushing.

"Of course," I said, smiling at her. "Let's go. I've gotta rest up for tomorrow."

We entered her cozy hut, and I laid down in the straw bed. The vulpix happily snuggled up to me, sharing her warmth.

"I'm kind of afraid," my fiery companion said quietly.

I frowned at her. "What for?"

"When we fall asleep, then this night will end," Fiori said, her voice wavering. "And I don't want it to end, Taern."

I wrapped my arm around her, gently embracing the petite fox. "I don't want it to end, either," I admitted. "Be strong for me when I'm gone. Train hard and make me proud. Seven days will go by in the blink of an eye," I assured her.

"Six," she insisted.

I fondly placed a kiss on her forehead. "We'll see. Now quiet, I need to get some sleep," I teased, squeezing the fox affectionately.

Our earlier romp had drained us both to the point of exhaustion, and sleep graciously took us both.


	3. Don't be so Rude

I felt Fiori's warm body stirring next to me. "Good morning," she said in a singsong voice. I tightened my arms around her, holding the vulpix close.

She licked my face, trying to rouse me. "No time to sleep in, it's a big day," she insisted.

The fox continued licking me until I shoved her away. "Fine, fine," I grumbled halfheartedly.

"I'll help you pack, Taern," she said, standing up.

I yawned, taking a breath of fresh air. Although neither of us were looking forward to saying goodbye, it had to happen sooner or later.

Fiori and I left the hut and set about gathering supplies. We packed a blanket, a waterskin, light rations, and a few other miscellaneous items. She'd even found some figy berries for me, which were my favorite. And of course I made sure to bring the package Master Serence needed me to deliver.

It was still fairly early in the morning when I finally left. I couldn't help but feel a bit melancholy, but Fiori sent me off with her brightest smile.

"Stay safe," Master Serence called out slowly.

"Come home soon," Fiori said, beaming.

I smiled at the two of them, glad to have such a wonderful family. "Try not to miss me too much," I told them, grinning. Shouldering my pack, I turned north and started walking.

Passing from the glade surrounding camp to the craggy terrain beyond, I tried not to regret my decision. Would Master Serence have accepted no as an answer? Was it worth it? I wasn't sure yet, and I couldn't be until it was all said and done.

The countryside was beautiful, and I barely noticed the ground passing underfoot. As harsh as these lands surrounding Master Serence's glade were, there wasn't much wildlife, and therefore very little danger. I paused at midday for lunch before continuing north. By the time evening was closing in, I had made very good progress. There was a rocky overhang nearby that would make a suitable place to camp for the night.

Unshouldering my burden, I placed the pack carefully on the ground and sat down, catching my breath. The terrain was still fairly rugged, meaning there wouldn't be much point in foraging for food. I made a dinner of the rations Fiori and I had packed that morning, especially enjoying the figy berries.

It was already dark, so I took the blanket from my pack and wrapped it around myself, getting as cozy as possible. The day's hike had drained a lot of my stamina, and it wasn't long before I was sleeping soundly.

* * *

Though the autumn morning was cool, the blanket had done its job well enough. Eating a light breakfast, I repacked my supplies and resumed my trek north. The night's rest had left me feeling revitalized and the going went smoothly. By late morning, the terrain had changed, becoming greener and more vibrant. I enjoyed the scenery as I walked, mindful of jagged rocks and other dangers. It occurred to me that for the first time in at least a week, I was clearheaded and able to think properly. In retrospect, it hadn't been a week since I had found out Fiori was in heat. Perhaps, then, it had started several days before that.

In fact, I hadn't been training my hardest for a while now, and the vulpix wasn't entirely to blame. Part of the frustration I'd been feeling was due to my own stagnation. The way things weren't changing, I had hated it. By helping me forget myself, Fiori had enabled me move on. Plus, the last few days, I had been happy. While she was definitely a distraction, I was glad to have her distracting me.

An angry squawk interrupted my thoughts as I saw a fearow closing in on me from ahead.

"Excuse me," I said, "I'm just passing through."

The fearow squawked again, diving at me in a flurry of pecks and scratches. I used my detect, easily dodging around the irate bird's attacks and leaping several paces back. Diplomacy had failed, so it was time for the next best thing. Coiling like a spring, I lunged at my opponent, striking it with my quick attack.

That wasn't enough to scare off the ugly bird, however. It continued hounding me, flapping and squawking angrily. The thought occurred to me that the fearow might have a nest in the area, contributing to its unusual aggression. I dodged another flurry of attacks and shot north like a rocket, thinking to leave the bird's territory as quickly as possible.

After I'd placed some distance between us, I slowed down to catch my breath. The fearow hadn't followed me, meaning I was most likely right about its nest. As I continued walking, I heard the sound of running water not far off. I navigated toward the noise, rewarded for my efforts by a small spring. Its water was clear, and I stooped to drink thirstily from it before refilling my waterskin. Searching through the nearby greenery, I found some shoots and berries to make a sufficient lunch out of before I once more resumed heading north.

There were no more troublemakers, and the rest of the day passed by mercifully fast. The rocky terrain gave way to lightly forested hills, and I selected a large coniferous tree to camp at for the evening. Were the weather to take a turn for the worse, the tree's nettles would offer some protection from the elements. The pungent needles would also provide some concealment, helping me avoid being detected by any dangerous predators in the area. Foraging was good, including nuts from various trees, and some sturdy roots. After I'd eaten my fill, I once again cozied up in my blanket and shut my eyes.

My thoughts immediately wandered to Fiori. Having had the chance to finally clear my mind, I couldn't help but wonder whether we were moving too fast. The vulpix adored me, of course, and the pheromones of her estrous made her irresistible. But I had been so rough with her that first time. And somehow, despite how I'd treated her, Fiori had been so sweet to me. However, it was my forwardness that had brought us together. Even without her spicy scent and her fertile body clouding my judgment, she was a beautiful creature and a kind soul. I wished I was back home, snuggled up to the warm fox. She was probably wishing the exact same thing. The thought comforted me, and soon I drifted to sleep.

* * *

I awoke early the next morning and repacked before once again setting out. By late morning, the trees began thinning and I found myself passing by a steep rockface. The silhouettes of two pokemon loomed ahead, both bigger than me. As I neared them, I could see that they were both lairons, and neither appeared very friendly. I heard a scuffling behind me and looked to see three more of them blocking my escape route.

"What have we got here?" the biggest lairon asked, gloating. "Looks like we have an intruder on our turf, boys."

The other four lairon hooted and hollered in agreement, stamping their feet. "Let's take him out," one of them muttered.

I turned to the leader with my paws open in a gesture of peace. "I'm not here to defile your lands," I explained. "I'm just passing through."

He snorted. "You think we care? If we let every sorry milksop off the hook, other pokemon would walk all over us. That's not about to happen," he said, his eyes narrowing on me.

Once again, diplomacy had failed. Somehow, I wasn't that surprised.

"Shut up," I snapped at him. "I have more important things to deal with than a couple shitheads like you."

The lairon smirked at me. "D'aww, is our wittle riolu fwiend anxious to get back home? Is there a wittle hussy waiting for him there?"

"Don't," I growled, baring my fangs at him.

"Ah," he chuckled to his posse, "seems I touched a soft spot, eh boys? Don't worry, I'm sure after you fail to return home, your girl will have no trouble finding a couple real males to stuff her holes full."

"You wanna die?" I asked, seething. Still trembling with rage, I assumed a fighting stance. If they wanted trouble from me, I was more than glad to oblige.

"Looks like we have a fight on our hands, boys," the leader hollered. "Get him!"

The three lairon behind me were the first to attack, thinking they could blindside me. I leaped into the air, dodging a nasty take down and slamming into one of them with my force palm. His armor made a very sad creaking noise as the blow struck, and he staggered to a halt before collapsing to the ground.

Roaring angrily, the other four lairon rushed forward, trying to dogpile me. I lunged at one of them, dodging underneath him and placing some distance between us. No longer surrounded, I turned to face my assailants.

Another one of the thugs charged, and I easily sidestepped his take down. Grinding my feet into the ground, I slammed my palm hard into his side. The impact of the attack sent the beast crashing into the nearby slope, fracturing rock and bone.

I turned to the remaining three, seeing red. "I'll kill you," I snarled at them.

The smaller two balked, turning to run, but the big lairon stood his ground. With a mighty roar, he headbutted the cliff, sending a barrage of rocks falling at me from above.

Like with Master Serence's focus blasts, I dodged and deflected the rocks, weaving through the deadly barrage. Before the dust had cleared, I lunged forward, slamming my palm into the belligerent lairon's snout. His neck made a wet _sthok_ noise and his eyes crossed as fell over in a limp heap.

Breathing deeply for several long moments, I pushed my anger out of mind. Hurting the last two lairon wouldn't serve any purpose, and I had places to be. I turned around, once more resuming my northward jaunt. The three lairon I'd laid out would be fine. Probably. Steel-types were very rugged, and lairon were known to be resilient in particular. It had felt good putting them in their place, at least. Master Serence likely would have found a better way to handle the situation. But if he'd been here to handle the situation, I wouldn't be making this journey in the first place.

I found myself wondering whether the old slowbro had ever lost his cool like that, perhaps after someone had insulted the milotic he was once so twitterpated with. Probably not. Even if Master Serence could manage a level of vehemence above mild annoyance, it seemed unlikely that he contained the malice to act on it.

After making some more headway, I paused to eat lunch and regain my strength. Leaning back against a spruce tree, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. I was tired and more than a bit achy after two full days' sojourn, so a quick nap couldn't hurt.

I imagined my favorite vixen was there, sitting in my lap. Her forelegs were draped around my neck, her face nuzzled against my chest. The fox's hot breath caressed my skin, sending shivers down my spine. "M-master," she said, her ears dropping back yieldingly. A scent like blood burned in my nostrils, lighting a passion in my belly and soon my erection pressed against her silky stomach. Gently lifting her chin, I lovingly kissed her lips. She wriggled closer to me, intensifying the heat between us until it felt like fire. It became fiercer and fiercer, and just before it was unbearably hot, the fire changed to the wet, grasping warmth of her love-tunnel. She moaned, her voice muffled against my neck, and her body kept making that sweet _shlick_ noise. It was too much for me, and I screamed out loud, cumming.

My orgasm jolted me from my daydream and I looked down to see my paws were sticky and white. I wiped off as much of it as I could, sighing to myself. Not even in my daydreams could I escape the bewitching fox. I poured just a tiny bit of water on my paws, rinsing them as well as I could before finally taking off.

Feeling restored, the continued trek north was much easier. By late afternoon, I could see the settlement in the distance. I kept going, the sight of my goal buoying my spirits. More and more ground passed under my feet, and soon enough I had arrived.

Slatecrag outpost was something of a trading hub. Several small tenements were located along its outskirts, but the heart of Slatecrag was its bazaar. Many stalls ran the length of the street, with all kinds of wares available for purchase. Both vendors and customers lined each of the stalls, filling the air with a busy hubbub. Frankly, it left me feeling a bit overwhelmed. This was the largest concentration of pokemon I'd ever seen in one place, dwarfing even the herd of sawsbuck that had found me so long ago.

I hurried along, finding the vendor that Master Serence had told me about. The stall before me was attended by a lethargic ludicolo. The duck-billed pokemon gestured to his wares. "See anything you like, amigo?"

Stepping closer, I was stunned by the overwhelming variety of rocks for sale. There were precious stones, rare minerals, and even a handful of mystical rocks.

I turned to face the billed merchant. "Sir," I said respectfully, "Master Serence sends his regards to you."

The ludicolo blinked in surprise, then chuckled mirthfully. "Serence, huh? How's that anciano doing?"

"Well enough," I told him. "I'm Taern, one of his two apprentices," I explained. "He asked me to make a delivery to you."

"Not feeling well enough to make the trip himself, is he? How long before his old bones reposar en paz?" he mused.

I stared blankly at him.

"Ah, forgive me, amigo. My name is Rude Sooth," he said, shaking my paw. "But please call me Rude."

"Yes, Mister Rude," I replied.

"He still living at that spit in the middle of those jodido mountains?" Rude asked, gesturing south.

I nodded to him, eliciting a snort from the ludicolo.

"If that's so, then it must have been a pretty walk to get here."

"Yeah, pretty much," I concurred.

"You got a place to stay for the night, or were you planning on roughing it?" Rude asked, watching me carefully.

"Well, I was thinking I would camp out. I did the last two nights, so it shouldn't be too-"

"Mierda," he interrupted me. "Supposed to rain tonight. If you sleep out in the suciedad, you'll be dead within the day. Can't have one of Serence's aprendices dying on me, can I?"

Rude stood up and began busily closing down his stall for the evening. "Come on, you will stay in my home tonight," he instructed.

I obediently followed the ludicolo and soon we arrived at his home. It was built into the side of a hill on the southwest edge of the outpost.

"It ain't much, but it is better than catching pneumonia." He beckoned me inside. "Come on in, amigo."

The hovel was cleverly constructed, and much sturdier than it looked. There was even a second room in the back, presumably Rude's sleeping quarters. He gestured to a smooth rock. "Sit down, take a load off."

Gratefully taking a seat, I shrugged off my pack and began digging through it. I pulled out the package Master Serence had sent with me. "Here," I said, presenting the bundle to my host.

"Gracias." He accepted the package, placing it aside. In a moment, he'd rustled up a bowl of dried leaves and some papers. The ludicolo swiftly rolled himself a blunt and lit it, taking a seat next to me.

The duck-billed pokemon took a drag before handing it over. "Hierba de dios," he told me.

Accepting it from him, I took an experimental puff of the herb. The strong smoke made me cough and gasp for air, as though I'd just been punched in the gut.

Rude nodded as I passed it back to him. "First time, amigo?" He took another drag before unwrapping the package. There was a rock inside, as well as a scroll with footprint runes printed on it.

"Well, well," he said thoughtfully. "A king's rock can fetch a good price around here." Rude passed the joint back to me, turning his attention to the scroll.

I took another puff and imitated Rude, holding my breath before letting it out. It tickled, but was a lot better than the first hit.

The ludicolo finished reading the scroll and placed it down. He accepted the joint from me, partaking of the potent grass. "So muchacho, tell me about yourself."

"Huh? What about me?" I asked him.

"Every pokemon's different. So something's gotta make you different, amigo." He glanced thoughtfully at me. "Maybe Serence is keeping you too busy to have your own life? What a gilipollas," the ludicolo said, shaking his head sympathetically.

I shrugged at him. "When he gives me the evening off, I like climbing trees."

"Trees? Is that all?" he asked, passing the herb back to me.

"Well," I paused, taking another drag before continuing. "There's this girl that I like." My voice was small and I could feel my face turning red with embarrassment. I took one more puff before passing the joint back to the billed pokemon.

"What's she like?" Rude asked, mildly intrigued.

I giggled at his question. "She's great! She's beautiful, she's sweet, she's clever, and she lets me touch her," I enthused.

"You have time for fooling around?" the ludicolo asked, amused. "Maybe Serence has gone soft."

I found myself giggling again. "Mostly we have free time in the evenings. Sometimes in the mornings, too."

"Have you already told her you like her?"

Now that was an odd question. I glanced at him pensively. "No, not yet. Why?"

The ludicolo inhaled a deep breath of the herb before explaining. "Nothing wrong with having fun, but you gotta make sure she feels significant. More than just your main squeeze, you know?"

"Oh," I said, feeling a bit guilty. I definitely hadn't told Fiori how much she meant to me. My actions up til now might have even spoken the opposite. "You know a lot about this sort of thing?" I asked Rude.

He shrugged at me. "Had quite a few friends talk to me. You get pretty good at giving them consejo."

"Like Master Serence?"

Rude laughed out loud. "Not too much, no. That anciano already has all the answers."

"Yeah," I agreed. "He told me once about a girl he liked a long time ago."

"Oh? You mean that feebas?"

I blinked owlishly at him. "Feebas?"

The ludicolo nodded to me. "They knew each other since they were children," he explained. "The two of them were inseparable, couldn't get enough of each other."

"But do you know what the funny thing about feebas is?" Rude paused, taking another drag. "They are late bloomers, but when they bloom, they are maravilloso. It took a while for her to evolve, but when it happened, she was gorgeous."

I nodded at him, listening earnestly.

"Back then, Serence didn't have a lot of confianza. He's always been fairly humble, you know? So this beautiful girl, she's loco about him. But he begins distancing himself, thinking he was doing her a favor. Like she could do better than him. Within the week, he leaves, ends up training in those jodido mountains." Rude shrugged helplessly. "If you ask me, he was being an imbécil."

"Ah," I said, frowning.

"I think," the ludicolo said thoughtfully, "that he was afraid to admit to himself how serious they'd become. How much they meant to each other. Sure, they were young." He passed me the blunt, glancing pointedly at me. "But I suppose that doesn't matter much."

I pulled too deeply on it, and fell into another fit of coughing. "Yeah," I said, beginning to put the pieces together.

"You must be hungry, muchacho," Rude said. In a few moments, he'd scrounged up a plate of berries and shoots, handing it to me.

My stomach growled and I dug in with a vengeance. "You aren't hungry?" I asked him.

He shrugged. "I ate an early dinner. Who knows? Maybe I'll grab a midnight snack. You taking off in the morning, amigo?"

I nodded to him. "I hope to, yeah."

"Then you should do yourself a favor and get some sleep," he told me.

"Right, of course." Rooting around my pack, I withdrew my blanket. I stretched out along a vacant spot on the floor and made myself cozy with it.

"Beunas noches," Rude said, extinguishing the lights.

The _h_ _ierba de dios_ had left me quite relaxed, and I was out like a light.

* * *

"Taern, wake up," Rude called to me the next morning.

I rolled over, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

Rude had resumed his seating from the night before. "I have a souvenir for you, muchacho."

I glanced at the ludicolo, confused. He was holding a package not unlike the one I'd presented the night before.

"Don't be shy," he insisted.

Nodding, I accepted the parcel from him.

As I started opening it, the ludicolo stopped me. "Not so fast," he chided. "You can open it once you get back home."

"What's in it?" I asked.

He dismissed my question, moving swiftly onward. "Should get going while there's some of the morning left. Make sure to take a few raciones with you."

I had soon packed my things and was ready to leave.

"Give Serence my saludos," Rude said, patting me on the shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing." He shuffled away for a moment, rifling through some of his belongings. "Here we go," he said, handing me a small stone. It was a polished agate. "Try giving her that, muchacho."

I looked at him, slack-jawed. "Y-you're sure I can take it?"

"Don't have a lot of these in those jodido mountains, do you? They are barato out here," he said levelly.

"Thank you, Mister Rude," I said, passing the stone between my paws. It was pretty, and I was sure Fiori would love it.

"De nada. Now get going, rápidamente. I need to get to work for the day," he said fondly, cuffing me on the ear.

I left the ludicolo's home, shouldering my pack. Slatecrag's bazaar and tenements quickly passed me by, and soon I was on my way home.

My feet felt light as I continued trekking southward across the damp ground. The country outside of Slatecrag was beautiful in the morning light, and I was glad that my journey was half-way done.

Though it had meant leaving the vixen behind, I found myself glad I'd come here. I missed Fiori like hell, but Master Serence was like a father to me, and being able to do this errand for him meant a lot. For so long, the slowbro had given and nurtured without receiving anything in return. I thought back to first time he'd said how proud he was of me and found myself smiling.

Honestly, I could probably never thank him enough. Even the prospect of paying it forward was somewhat staggering. That entailed taking an apprentice of my own someday, and I hardly felt qualified enough to teach anyone.

Since he'd been my surrogate father, though, maybe I didn't need to repay him. Giving and nurturing—that was what parents did, after all. One day, I would grow up and make something of myself. But even that didn't seem like enough. While I couldn't repay him for being my father, that _was_ something I could pay forward, although it meant having a family of own. It was an embarrassing thought, but it warmed the cockles of my heart and I soon found myself thinking of my favorite vixen.

I sighed blissfully, letting my mind wander as the scenery passed by. When it was midday, I stopped to eat lunch. The shoots and berries Rude had sent with me were good, and it wasn't long before I was restored enough to continue.

Not too far off, I could see the rockface that I'd been ambushed at on my way north. I changed my heading, routing a path west of the lairon's territory. While the terrain surrounding the cliff had been quite rocky, the area I passed through was mostly flat and scattered with shrubby plants.

The countryside was quiet, almost eerily so. I kept a wary eye on my surroundings, feeling the hairs on my neck bristle with uneasiness.

Not far away, I heard the sound of a ghostly rattle. A purple shape lunged at me from behind a nearby shrub, barely giving me enough time to get out of its way. I somersaulted and landed on my feet, ready to face my attacker.

It was an arbok, and it was already coiling itself in preparation to strike again. "Be a good pup, hold ssstill," it hissed at me. The snake's yellow eyes were mesmerizing, but its cold voice sent a chill down my spine.

I wasted no time, bolting southward and not bothering to look back. I didn't have anything to prove by fighting a dangerous predator like that. In truth, though, I was really not a fan of snakes, and the encounter had left me feeling more than a bit anxious.

The poisonous reptile couldn't keep up with me and soon forfeited its chase. My feet kept going, though, and carried me until I was a fair distance past the arbok's lair. When my side finally began aching, I stopped to breathe momentarily before moving on.

Eventually, the shrubby flatlands disappeared and I passed into the forested hills I'd seen on my way north. It wasn't long before the sun was hanging low in the sky and I decided to stop and make camp.

Like before, the foraging was adequate, and I made a meal of roots and other foraged foods before settling down by the base of a large tree. Shrugging off my pack, I quickly found my blanket and cozied up inside of it. The evening had already grown dark, and soon I was slumbering peacefully.

* * *

The next day passed by swiftly, too. I happened to find a stream that morning, and used the opportunity to drink and refill before continuing. The countryside soon became even rockier, but it was the type of terrain that I was most accustomed to. I ended up taking another detour in order to avoid the fearow whose nesting grounds I'd passed through several days ago. Unlike my previous deviation, however, I was lucky enough not to find any nasty surprises.

Once again, evening forced me to stop and make camp. I had made excellent time on my way south, and it couldn't be more than half a day's journey before I got home. It was an exciting prospect, but the anticipation made it difficult to sleep.

Instead, I found myself watching the stars shining in the night sky. They were beautiful, and I couldn't help but wish my favorite vixen were there with me. A sigh escaped my lips as I felt my heart ache for her. Once I was home, I could stargaze with Fiori as much as we wanted. But before I could get home, I had to wait for tomorrow. I pulled my blanket tighter around me and screwed my eyes shut, praying for sleep to come.


	4. Unabashed Honesty

I was up at the first hint of dawn and quickly repacked my things before heading southward one last time. Excitement coursed through me, and I could feel a hundred butterflies tumbling in my stomach as I walked. After cresting a particularly rough hill, I saw a rock formation in the distance that was familiar. It heartened me, and I continued straight ahead, not stopping for breakfast.

The craggy wasteland passed by in a blur, as I was too anxious to properly pay attention. Before long, I could see the familiar grove of trees enclosing the Taragio spring. I hastened my steps and continued forward, ignoring how sore I felt. After passing through the treeline, I quickened my pace again, easily stepping through the familiar territory and dodging past trees.

After finally breaking through the other side of the grove, I stopped to catch my breath. Camp was just like it was when I'd left. Master Serence was meditating next to the spring, peacefully basking in the late afternoon sunlight. But my favorite vixen wasn't with him.

"Master Serence," I called out to him. "I'm back."

The sagacious slowbro turned and beckoned me closer.

I broke into a jog, shortly closing the distance between us.

"Welcome home," he said, smiling at me. "We knew you could do it, Taern." There was the faintest trace of an odd expression on his face. Though he was nearly always unfazeable, he looked just the slightest bit surprised to see me. If anything, it was most likely because I had arrived back so early.

Shrugging off my pack, I paused to catch my breath before I could respond. "Wh-where's Fiori at?" I asked him.

Master Serence frowned at me. "We're sad to say that she isn't well. She's sleeping in your bed," he explained.

My ears pricked forward in alarm and I felt panic roiling in my stomach. I spun around and dashed to my hut, where Fiori was dozing quietly. Dropping my pack to the side, I knelt before the fox and gently placed my paw on her cheek. Her skin was feverish, and the sound of her breath was shallow.

"Fiori, I'm home," I told her.

"Taern?" she asked softly. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled as she saw me. "Taern," she said once more, nuzzling against my paw.

"Fiori, is everything okay? Can I do anything for you?" I placed my paw on hers and squeezed it comfortingly.

The fox looked at me with her big brown eyes, but didn't respond. It was quiet in the hut except for the sound of her labored breathing.

Master Serence approached from behind, stopping outside of the hut's entrance. "Taern, may we speak with you for a moment?" His voice was calm and measured, but I didn't find it reassuring.

I hesitated for a moment before I finally decided to oblige him. As I stood up, the fox cried out in dismay. "Taern," she whined at me.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back," I promised her. "Okay?"

Her eyes watering, Fiori blinked back her tears. She nodded to me and laid her head back down, closing her eyes.

I followed the slowbro back to the edge of the spring. The two of us sat down and he glanced apologetically at me.

"It started three days ago," Master Serence said softly.

My heart sunk in response to his words. "Wh-what? Why?" I barely managed to ask him.

The slowbro sighed, shaking his head morosely. "Her memories have started to return."

I stared at him dumbly, still not understanding.

"She said she needs to go home," he explained.

"But Master Serence, this is her home," I insisted.

He spread his paws helplessly. "We believe she is a zenko, Taern," he said quietly.

"A what?" I stared slack-jawed at the slowbro.

"A celestial fox spirit," Master Serence explained. "A forest kitsune. Spirits like her aren't intended to manifest outside of their forests, especially for extended periods of time. Although that might not explain her strange appearance here, it could explain why she'd lost her memories. Perhaps the shock of being so far from her forest is what did it to her."

"But it's already been weeks." I felt a lump forming in my throat.

The slowbro nodded to me. "It's a miracle she's lasted as long as she did."

"C-can we—isn't there a way you can heal her?"

"We already tried," Master Serence told me. "Our healing pulse had no effect on her."

"Then we can take her back to her forest," I insisted. "She'll get better if we do that, right?"

He shrugged helplessly. "She was determined to wait for you before she went home."

I felt my mouth grow dry in what felt like an instant. The lump in my throat grew more painful, and I had to force myself to breathe.

"You should go be with her," Master Serence said softly.

I nodded to him, my thoughts whirling. "Thank you, master," I said, bowing respectfully as I could.

Rising to my feet, I returned to my hut where the sick vulpix was resting. Her face lit up as she saw me and I heard the thumping of her fluffy tails wagging weakly against the ground.

"Taern," she cooed. Despite the heaviness of my heart, I couldn't help but smile at her.

Sitting down beside her, I gently placed her head on my lap. "I'm sorry I didn't get back sooner, Fiori," I said, fondly petting her.

The vulpix looked at me, and once again I heard the cheerful thumping of her weakly wagging tails.

"But I'm back now, so we can be together, like you wanted," I told her.

Fiori smiled weakly at me, then nuzzled happily against my paw.

I continued petting her lovingly, comforting the petite vulpix. The reedy sound of her breath still filled the room, but I pushed my anxieties out of mind. When I had left six days ago, Fiori had been able to see me off with her brightest smile. Goodbye was always a sad thing, but I couldn't afford to be sad right now. If she really did have such a short amount of time left, then I would help her fill it with as much joy as I could.

"Do you mind if we go outside?" I asked her. "We'll be able to watch the sunset soon." Since it was almost the winter season, the afternoon had been short, and it would be evening before long.

She smiled happily and once more wagged her tails at me. Scrabbling weakly at the ground, the vulpix sought the right purchase to lift herself to her feet.

"Don't get up," I chided her. "I'll carry you, okay?" Carefully, I picked up the fox and carried her outside. She was perhaps half my own weight, and more than manageable to lift. I sat down just outside of the hut, placing the fox next to me. Fiori smiled again and licked my paw in appreciation.

"Do you remember how difficult I used to be, Fiori?" I said, reminiscing. "I was worried that you were going to take Master Serence away from me. So I decided to think of you as my rival."

I sighed, shaking my head. "I finally had another chance to make him proud." The lump in my throat burned and I could hear my voice wavering as I spoke. "But now I regret the entire thing. I wish I'd been here with you, Fiori. I'm sorry I left you."

"Taern," the vulpix whined, pouting at me. She licked my paw again, trying to cheer me up.

"I know, I know." After taking another breath, I glanced up at the sky. The sun had finally begun to set, painting the edge of the sky orange. "It's just that—well, what I mean is," I paused, taking a deep breath. Looking into her lovely brown eyes, I felt all of my reservations melt away. "You mean the world to me, Fiori. I'm so thankful that you saved me from myself, and I wish I'd been honest with my feelings sooner. I wish that we could have been like this since the beginning, Fiori, so that we could have watched the stars and sunset every night."

I saw a tear land on her face and realized it was mine. "Because one night isn't nearly enough, and I hate that this night has to end," I whispered, gazing into her eyes.

The young vulpix smiled at me, once again wagging her fluffy tails.

Despite the heaviness of my heart, I laughed. Drawing her close, I kissed her sweetly on the lips. Even after our kiss finally ended, I continued embracing her. "Fiori, I think I love you," I murmured, softly petting her.

She nuzzled into my neck in response. With her body so close, I could feel the beating of her heart and the warmth of her skin. While we'd been intimate before, there was something wholesome and comforting about this closeness, something I hadn't previously felt.

The two of us remained like that until the sun had finally set. The sky was darkening, and the faintest twinkling of stars could be seen in the sky.

"Taern," Fiori said softly.

I looked into her eyes, seeing a mixture of love and regret in her face. It was finally time.

"Fiori," I stammered weakly.

Another one of my tears fell onto her cheek. I reached up to gently brush it away, but couldn't. The same instant, there was a bright flash of light. It lasted for only a brief moment before receding, and when I opened my eyes, she was gone.

"Fiori?" I asked dumbly. "Fiori?"

More tears fell from my face, this time striking the ground. I suddenly felt woozy and doubled over, landing on my forepaws. With a massive effort, I managed to breathe air into my lungs. It burned, so I let the air out. But it was the sound of a strangled sob that escaped from my lips. Then I let out another sob, before I was all-out bawling.

"We are sorry," Master Serence spoke softly to us. He was standing a respectful distance away, giving me room.

It took a long time before I could bring myself to stop crying long enough to respond. Sniffling and blinking back my tears, I looked up at him. "Master Serence, why?" I croaked.

"We are sorry," he repeated.

My breaths were ragged and painful. "Isn't there anything we can do?"

The slowbro was silent for a long time, carefully considering my question.

"There is a cave," he said slowly, "not far south of here. We have heard a legend of a jirachi who lives inside of it." He paused, letting his words sink into my head. "And who better to ask than the wish maker himself?"

"The wish maker?"

Master Serence spread his paws helplessly, shaking his head. "The legend says jirachi will awaken once every thousand years to grant a wish for someone pure of heart. But we do not know when he began his slumber, or when he will next awaken," he explained, frowning.

I responded without hesitation. "Can I go?"

Seeing his pained face, I knew that he wanted to forbid me going, to tell me to move on. But his softheartedness inevitably won through. "Yes, Taern. You may go," he said mildly.

I was on my feet in a second. Whirling around, I stepped briefly into my hut and grabbed my pack. Shouldering it, I stepped outside and began making a beeline for the edge of the campgrounds.

"Taern, what are you doing?" Master Serence asked, perplexed. "It is too dark for you to set out."

Glancing at him irately, I suppressed a growl. "I won't make her wait for me twice."

The slowbro sighed in dismay. "The rock you gave to Rude Sooth," he said to me. "He gave you something in return?"

I blinked at him, confused. "Uh, yeah. What about it?"

"Well, we expected you'd have used it already," the slowbro said. Perhaps that had been the reason for his earlier surprise.

"But wh-" I paused, shrugging off my pack and removing Rude's bundle from it. "He asked me to wait until I was home before I opened it," I said, looking at Master Serence.

"Is that so?" He nodded to us. "You may open it, then."

I carefully pulled the corners of the bundle, and its canvas wrapping fell away. Inside was a blue ribbon, barely visible in the darkness.

"Master Serence, what is it?"

"It is a joy ribbon, Taern," the slowbro told me patiently.

"But why did he-" I gave him a puzzled look.

"It will let you evolve," he concluded. "We meant it as a gift for our apprentice. Our timing, however, appears to be rather poor."

I continued staring stupidly at him.

"You have very little left to learn from us, Taern," he said, smiling. "This will be your home as long as you need, but we have seen your impatience. It will soon be time for you to move on." There was the faintest hint of sadness in both the old slowbro's face and the words he spoke.

"But I-" I stammered. "Are you sure?"

He nodded to me. "We couldn't be more certain, Taern. In truth, we expected you would use the ribbon as soon as Rude gave it to you." Master Serence took a deep breath before continuing. "It is already so soon after your journey is ended for you to strike out again. But using the joy ribbon will help alleviate your burden."

Taking the ribbon in my paws, I found that it was smooth to the touch. Gripping it tightly, I focused and felt a power within it begin resonating. A light burst from my skin, illuminating the campgrounds and blinding me. The brilliant energy coursed through my bones and muscles, revitalizing me and filling me with power. My body began growing taller and my limbs longer. The change in perspective threw my inner ear and I stumbled to my knees, landing on all fours. In moments, the light faded and I regained my balance.

Standing upright, I noted the fluidity and ease my new muscles moved with. It was a strange sensation, but one I didn't dislike. My body was stronger and quicker, but it was something else that most stood out to me. Aura coursed through my new limbs and followed my every thought, granting me a precision and skill I'd lacked with it before. Master Serence was quite right—I would be much more competent like this, hopefully alleviating some of my burden.

"We are so proud of you, Taern," he said, beaming at me.

The ribbon was gone, its power used up. Something strange caught my eye, however. In the canvas wrapping of the bundle, beneath where the ribbon had been, there was an odd red-colored stone.

"Master Serence?" I picked up the rock, turning it over in my paws. It was warm to the touch, and a dull light glinted from its red depths.

"Rude," the slowbro snorted indignantly. "That meddler."

I glanced from him to the stone, then back. "What—did he do something wrong?"

"We traded him for that joy ribbon, yet he sent a fire stone with you also," Master Serence grumbled.

"Um?" I looked blankly at him.

"A fire stone would have evolved a vulpix," the slowbro explained.

"But why would-" I trailed off, lost for words.

Master Serence shrugged at me. "Perhaps he thought the two of you were both ready to move on. Although how he could think so about Fiori without first meeting her, we have no idea," he said pensively. "It is a shame, however, that his gift was too late."

I shook my head, gripping the fire stone tight in my paw. "No, master. It wasn't too late. Not after I petition that jirachi to bring her back."

He nodded to me. "Of course, Taern." His voice was apologetic.

Carefully tucking away the stone, I shouldered my pack and glanced to the sagacious slowbro.

"Go on," he reassured me. "Be safe," he said, smiling proudly.

"Yes, sir." I gave him a brief hug before setting out southward.

Once I'd passed the grove enclosing the spring, the going got trickier. However, my evolved body had sharper senses than before, and its eyes could see well enough in the faint starlight. I deftly stepped past brambles and other hazards, making good time. My progress was so single-minded that I had no time for second-thoughts. The trek continued into the night, the inky ground passing underfoot. Craggy wastes gave way to scattered trees, and the trees eventually expanded into a fully fledged forest.

It suddenly occurred to me that I was navigating on instinct. There was an incredibly large mass of power in the distance, and it was drawing me closer. If my hunch was right, that had to be the cave Master Serence had mentioned. I increased my pace and closed in on the energy source.

From the outside, it appeared to be a regular cave. I stepped inside, watching my footing. It was even darker in here than outside, but it didn't matter. The cave itself was oddly empty, with no thugs or squatters to hinder my progress.

Running my paw along the side of the wall, I kept forging straight ahead. It was a very deep cave, and I could feel an uneasiness growing in my gut the farther I progressed.

Finally, the wall cut away and from the echo of my steps, I judged that I was in a cavern. The energy was strongest here, and it unnerved me. I felt the hair on my neck bristling and my stomach began roiling with apprehension.

"Hello?" I shouted. My voiced echoed back to me in the darkness.

The great mass of energy shifted slightly, but there was no response.

"Hello," I repeated. Gritting my teeth, I began channeling aura through my feet and into the cave floor. After touching the stone underfoot, the aura began resonating to my senses like a strange brassy echo. It continued bouncing off the cave walls and escalating in its metalic intensity, sending a shiver up my spine.

Once again, the mass shifted, this time less subtly than before. "LEAVE, TRAVELER," an angry voice thrummed in my mind.

"Jirachi, is that you?" I asked, standing my ground.

"WE ARE UNREADY, NOW LEAVE US TO OUR SLUMBER," the voice insisted.

"Shut up," I snarled. "I don't care if it is a century too early. Wake up already, Jirachi."

"YOUR PRESUMPTUOUSNESS DESERVES TO BE PUNISHED," it hissed at me.

"Fine," I growled in response. "If that's what it takes to get you off of your lazy ass."

The mass of power stirred, sending waves of energy crashing against the cave walls. One of these waves cut through the air, beating a path straight toward me. It was sluggish, and I easily dodged out of its way. Gathering a seething orb of light between my paws, I threw it at the ground in the center of the floor. The flash cannon exploded brilliantly, lighting up the pitch-black cavern.

Jirachi was hovering on the other side of the room, all three of his eyes still closed. A halo of psychic energy began roiling around the pokemon before he shouted, unleashing a powerful future sight at me. I channeled aura into the fringes of my mentality, creating a barrier to deflect the mental assault. Lunging at him, I slammed my powerful force palm into his gut, causing him to double over in pain. Without giving him a chance to counterattack, I jumped backward, putting distance between us and regathering myself.

The jirachi loosed an enraged scream and began concentrating energy around himself. "FACE YOUR DOOM, FOOL," his voice burned in my mind. Like before, the energy began coalescing into a halo, one that this time burned with an intensity that lit up every nerve in my body with a sense of impending dread.

In the flash of an instant, the answer struck me. His previous technique had required him to absorb energy before he could attack. This technique was similar, which meant that he had to leave himself open to use it.

Before, he had reacted violently to aura, so perhaps I could capitalize on that. Deep down, I knew I couldn't beat this creature in a duel, but that wasn't what I wanted. Like I'd seen Master Serence do with his focus blasts, I gathered energy between my paws and threw it. The sphere arced gracefully to the belligerent jirachi, hitting it square-on. Aura I'd channeled into the attack poured into the legendary, jolting his own massive energy reserves and stunning him.

Jirachi howled in pain, and a bright flash overtook the entire cavern.

"Please, wake up," I pleaded to him. "Please, Jirachi."

The flash receded and I felt the writhing masses of energy calm down.

Jirachi was still hovering in the same place as before, but he looked quite different. He stretched tiredly, yawning out loud. His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me.

"Did you wake me up?" Jirachi asked, eyes glazed over with exhaustion.

"Jirachi?" I felt my eyes beginning to bulge out of their sockets. Had it actually worked?

"You shouldn't wake me up early," he said, drifting over to me. "I get pretty cranky and usually end up sleep walking."

"No shit," I breathed.

"Well, you managed to shake me up enough that I'm awake. No use crying over spilled milk and all that," he said, yawning. "So, was there a particular reason you woke me up?"

"I-it's just that-" I stammered, hearing my voice crack.

"Hmm? Come on, don't be shy," he insisted.

"M-my lover Fiori," I told him, frowning. "She was taken away from me. Please, Jirachi, help me get her back, I'm begging you."

"Oh," he said, recognition dawning on his face. "I think I know who you're talking about. She is a zenko, isn't she?"

I nodded to him. "That is what Master Serence told me."

"See, that's the rub," he explained to me. "One of her ancestors made a pact with the Voice of the Forest. In exchange for vast power, he became inexorably bound to Lilac Woods."

"Like a curse?" I blinked at him.

"Yeah, a bit like that. But anyway, the curse passed down to his firstborn daughter, and her firstborn daughter and so on."

"So Fiori is... cursed?" I asked him.

"Bingo," he chimed happily. "Yeah, so she can't be unbound from Lilac Woods until you find a replacement guardian for her."

I paused, sorting through his words. "How can I find a replacement for her?"

"Oh, isn't it obvious?" he giggled at me. "Because of the pact, the only valid replacement will be her _own_ firstborn daughter."

I stared at him, feeling my jaw drop.

"What's so weird about that?" he asked, quirking his brow at me. "I mean you have a mother and father, right?"

"Yes, but," I stammered, feeling lightheaded. "I c-can't-"

Jirachi blinked owlishly at me. "Erm, well... that's maybe your problem? Anyways," he shrugged at me, "she's still alive, if that's what you're worried about. But like I said, she's in Lilac Woods, bound from leaving."

My ears pricked forward in response to his words. "She's really not dead?" I asked, exhilarated by the good news.

"Of course not. It would be silly for the forest's only guardian to die, wouldn't it?" he tittered at me.

"Is there any way to break the curse altogether?"

Jirachi shrugged at me. "I mean, maybe? It's a bit of a shame, though. Lilac Woods wouldn't have a guardian, and an entire lineage of zenko would be mundanified. Regardless, I wouldn't be able to grant that wish unless the cursed one herself petitioned me. Besides," he said thoughtfully, "the Voice of the Forest might get upset with me if I undid her pact. You might be better off talking to her about it."

"This is starting to feel ridiculous," I groaned.

"Well," the legendary glanced pointedly at me. "Since you came all the way out here, I can still grant you a wish. You are pure enough of heart, after all. Is there anything you want?"

I blanched, feeling quite put on the spot. "Uh, well," I paused, wracking my brain for all it was worth.

For some reason, I heard a voice surface in the noise of my thoughts. _'Back then, Serence didn't have a lot of confianza. He's always been fairly humble, you know?'_ It was Rude Sooth, Master Serence's old friend. If the ludicolo were here, he would probably have an idea of something to ask for. But the question was, what would Rude do?

Jirachi coughed politely, interrupting my thoughts. "Careful there," he giggled at me. "Thought I was going to see smoke pouring out of your ears."

I ignored his quip. "What if," I began, "can you bring Master Serence and the milotic together again?"

He blinked at me in surprise. "Oh? If you mean the feebas he grew up with, then sure!"

I nodded to him. "Yeah, that one. She's a milotic now, though."

"Hear ya loud and clear, pal. Is that your wish, then?" he asked.

"Of course. If it can make Master Serence happy, then I wish that you bring him and his beloved together again."

A look of concentration affixed itself to Jirachi's face and he began channeling energy. His third eye opened up slowly, filling the cavern with a brilliant glow. The light intensified, forcing me to close my eyes, then finally faded. When my vision had finally returned, Jirachi's third eye was once more shut.

He yawned tiredly. "It's done. Not today, and probably not tomorrow, but soon. So, if that's all I can help you with, I should really probably get back to sleep," he mumbled to me.

"Thank you so much, Jirachi, you've been so much help," I told him.

"If you don't mind, call me Jiro," he said, yawning again.

"Sure thing. Thanks again, Jiro."

"By the way, what's your name?" Jiro asked me.

"It's Taern."

"Thanks for playing with me, Taern. Stop by again when I'm not so sleepy," he told me.

"Oh, one more thing," I interjected. "Can you tell me where the Lilac Woods are?"

"Yeah, they're just a little bit southwest of here. Maybe a day's walk," he concluded. "G'night, Taern." With a big yawn, Jiro floated to the back of the cavern, resuming his slumber from before.

I smiled at the sleeping jirachi and bowed respectfully before turning around and exiting the cavern. The legendary had helped ease my heart, and there was perhaps a bit of a spring in my step as I left.

Jiro's cave had been on the northern edge of a forest, but it was the wrong one. According to what he'd told me, my true destination was still at least a day's trek away. I stopped outside of the entrance to the cavern, making camp for the night. My body was already painfully sore, and I would probably only hurt myself if I continued tonight. It was just as painful _not_ to continue my trek, but I nonetheless cozied up in my blanket and screwed my eyes shut. I was determined to get as much rest out of the night as I could.


	5. The Happy Ending

Despite having had less than a full night's sleep, I was glad to be awake and on the road again. The morning sun shined down on my face, reinvigorating me with its warmth. Moreover, I was motivated by the thought that I would get to see Fiori again by the end of the day. And if Jiro was right, she would be in good health.

When I could no longer ignore the complaints of my stomach, I stopped for breakfast. The forest had plenty of good food and I made sure my body was properly refueled before I continued traveling southwest. My single-mindedness was paying off and I was making very good headway by the time the morning was nearing its end.

Passing through a particularly dark thicket of trees, I noted a spiderweb hanging between a couple of branches. I carefully ducked underneath it, but felt my pack snag on the sticky strands. While my newly evolved body was competent in combat, I wasn't quite used to the perspective of its increased height. Not thinking twice, I leaned forward, trying to pull my pack loose. The web held tight, threatening to collapse if I pulled any harder.

A rustling sound came from the treetops above me as a small spinarak crawled out onto the web.

"Oh, are you the one who woke me up?" she asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I was just passing through and I accidentally got stuck in your web," I told her sheepishly.

The spider looked worriedly at my pack for a moment. "Well, stop pulling for a minute and I'll help unstick you," she chided me.

"Oh. You aren't going to try eating me or anything?"

She shook her head at me. "You're too big for me to eat. Besides," she pointed out, "if you tear my web down, I'd have to rebuild it, and that just means more work for me tonight."

I glanced at her, surprised. For once, diplomacy seemed to have worked. The spider crawled down her web and began nipping the sticky strands immediately surrounding my pack, cutting it loose.

"There you go," she said, yawning. "Try not to get stuck in it again, please."

"Right," I nodded to the spinarak. "I'll be on my way, then."

"Safe travels," she said, yawning. With that, the spider scuttled up her web and back into the branches before going silent. I breathed a sigh of relief before turning southwest and resuming my journey. That encounter was the only anomaly along the way, and I managed going the rest of the morning without running into any other pokemon.

I eventually stumbled upon a stream and stopped for lunch. Like with breakfast earlier, there was plenty of food to forage, and I was once more restored and refueled. With any luck, that was enough to to tide me over until I made it to Lilac Woods.

Leaves and grass passed underfoot as I kept going. While the terrain itself wasn't getting any more difficult, I eventually felt myself growing more and more exhausted. I had been on the road for nearly a week, and it was starting to catch up to me. But before I could finally let my body heal, I had to fill the hole in my heart.

By late afternoon, the trees looked a little bit different. Their bark was somehow tinted just the littlest bit purple, so little that at first I thought I was imagining things. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be some sort of moss that was growing on the side of the trees. Scraping a tiny bit of the plant with my nail, I confirmed my suspicion, seeing the bark underneath was normal. If I really wasn't hallucinating, then there was a pretty fair chance that I had finally made it.

Despite my growing excitement, it wasn't long before I had to stop and regather my bearings. In all honesty, I didn't have the faintest idea which part of these woods Fiori was in. I cleared my head of idle thoughts and reached outward with my mind, searching for any nearby bodies of energy. There was something powerful nearby, and I could feel it exerting a pressure on my senses. Even though the presence was unfamiliar to me, I had a feeling that my favorite vixen wouldn't be too far from it. Focusing on the foreign power, I changed my heading accordingly and set out toward it.

As trees continued passing by, a thin fog gradually accumulated on the forest floor. It wasn't enough to impede my sight, but I soon found myself unable to continue. Whether or not it was magic of some sort, the mist was clouding my mind, including the aura sense I had been navigating by. I stopped and caught my breath, trying to suppress a keen feeling of resignation.

"What are you doing in my forest, lucario?" The voice seemed to emanate from the trees themselves.

Startled, I did a double-take, looking for the source of the voice. "Wh-what? I'm looking for my friend, that's all," I explained, feeling suddenly nervous.

The misty forest was silent for a good while, contemplating my response. Then, a light shined a few paces in front of me and a pokemon blinked into existence, one that I'd never seen before. She glanced pointedly at me. "What, is there something on my face?"

There was no doubt about it—this was the source of energy I'd felt earlier, probably some sort of legendary pokemon. I wiped the dumb look off my mug, shaking my head. "No, it's just that," I paused, confused. "Who are you?"

She crossed her arms, still floating several paces in front of me. "Hmmph, that's some way to greet the Voice of the Forest," she said indignantly.

"Oh." I said, blinking slowly at her. "Then you're the pokemon Jiro mentioned, right?"

She snorted derisively at me. "I'm surprised that slob even managed to get up off his butt long enough to talk to you. But since you know Jiro, you can't be entirely bad." She glanced appraisingly at me. "My name is Celebi, but my friends call me Revy. _You_ , however, can call me Your Leafiness." Despite being shorter than I was, the legendary was somehow managing to look down her nose at me.

"Uh, yes Your Leafiness," I bowed respectfully. "Thank you for allowing me into your woods."

"Who said I allowed you anything?" she snapped at me. "Well, you're here now, so whatever. What was it you said you wanted, anyway?"

"It's just that I'm looking for my friend," I explained. "She's a vulpix, and her name is Fiori."

"Oh right, that," Revy said, rolling her eyes. "Well, what will you do when you find her?"

"Err, well, I haven't thought that far ahead," I admitted. "She needs to—I want to take her back home, to the Taragio mountains."

The celebi glared at me. " _This_ is her home, you idiot lucario. You know what a guardian is, don't you?"

I suppressed a growl, mustering all the patience I could. "Yes, Your Leafiness. She's forbidden from leaving this forest," I said, frowning.

"Of course she is," she responded. "And quit calling me Your Leafiness. That name is stupid and stuffy-sounding."

"Err, yes, Celebi."

The legendary rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "Just call me Revy, okay?"

"Yes, Miss Revy."

She glared at me again but didn't correct me. "So by the sound of it, Jiro didn't explain much of the situation to you."

I shrugged at the celebi. "Well, he did. At least I think he did."

"Oh? Because it sounds like you're more than a few berries short of a bushel," she said, glancing disdainfully at me. "She's bound to this forest by a pact. And by that same pact, she was made into a kenko. What's so hard to understand about it?"

"Why her? Why Fiori?" I asked, starting to feel flustered.

"She's bound by the same pact as her mother, her grandmother, and so on. All the way back to the ninetales that originally petitioned me," the celebi explained.

"That's so stupid," I blurted out. "Why are you holding her to some asinine promise some long-dead pokemon made with you ages ago?"

"Oh? You think that little of my power?" Revy fumed. "That some uppity mortal can backpedal out of a binding agreement just because it was made before her time?"

"Fiori never made that pact," I snarled at her. "And don't you _ever_ call her uppity again."

The celebi blinked in surprise before narrowing her eyes at me. "Hmmph, you mortals are all the same. Absolutely no appreciation for the things we higher powers do for you."

"Look, there has to be some way of undoing the curse," I reasoned.

"Curse?" she cried indignantly. "As if! And the only way to release her is to find a replacement. After all, these woods need a guardian."

I took a deep breath, regaining my composure. "I'm sorry, Miss Revy," I apologized. "You're right, I do remember Jiro mentioning something about a replacement. But can't you just find another mortal to do the job?"

"No," she said simply. "The only acceptable replacement must be of her bloodline. Preferably her firstborn daughter."

"But you can't—how long did the pact require guardianship of Lilac Woods? It can't have been forever," I protested.

"Oh? Well these woods have had a guardian for so long that they'd likely wither and die without one. Forests can be clingy like that, you know."

I sighed, at my wit's end. "There's absolutely no way it can be undone?"

Again, the celebi glared at me. "I'm surprised you hadn't realized it already," she began, scooping up a pebble from the forest floor. "If she means that much to you, just stay here with her." Revy deftly flicked the pebble, hitting me square between the eyes.

"Ouch!" I yelped, rubbing the sore spot. "What was that for?"

"You really are an idiot," she said, grabbing another pebble.

"No, no, I-I get it. Please!"

"Hmmph. I don't know what the deal is, or why she even likes you. But if Fiori insists, I'll let you stay in my woods. At least for a while," she said with a shrug.

While her words weren't the most eloquent, they'd rekindled the excitement in my stomach. "Thank you so much, Miss Revy. Where's she at right now?"

"She's resting, of course. After all, she was away from these woods for a long time, and needs to recover her strength."

"Oh," I said dumbly. "And I—you can't wake her up or anything?"

"Ugh!" She threw her hands up in dismay. "For all I know you're just some creepy lucario who's stalking her. Besides," she pointed out, "she might have mentioned a guy before she fell asleep. But he was definitely a riolu, not a lucario." The celebi crossed her arms, sticking her tongue out defiantly.

I rubbed my temples, trying to assuage the headache I was beginning to feel. "Fine, Miss Revy, you're right. I'm an idiot, maybe a bit of a creep, and I'm definitely not good enough for her," I felt myself blushing and averted my eyes. "Because she's radiant and wonderful, and she deserves more than the whole-"

"Gross! Shut up or you'll make me puke," she interjected, glaring at me. "What's your name, creepario?"

"Taern," I said, ignoring the insult.

The legendary was quiet for a long while before she finally acknowledged me. "And I guess you evolved since she saw you last. Well then, I can wake her up to talk to you. But if you do anything creepy, I'll have your butterfree roasted on a spit," she warned.

I shrugged helplessly at her. "Fine, you have my word. If I do anything creepy, you can do whatever you want to me," I said with resignation. Glancing sidelong at the legendary, I was beginning to feel a new-found respect for her. "Fiori must mean a lot to you, for you to be this protective of her."

"Hmmph," she snorted at me. "Don't get so fresh with me, creepario." Revy closed her eyes, focusing her powers. "Hey Fiori, you up yet? Fine, now come on over here for a moment," she insisted. "There's someone who wants to talk to you."

As Revy's eyes opened, the mist coating the forest floor evaporated. Several paces behind the legendary was my favorite vixen, the same as I remembered her. Fiori yawned tiredly, stretching to pump blood into her tired limbs.

The fox glanced up at me. Her brown eyes were curious, as though she were regarding something for the first time. "Um, Revy? Who's this?"

"Jeez, you two are both dolts," Revy said, rolling her eyes. "It's that Taern you told me about, remember?"

Fiori looked stunned. "Taern? But why do you-" she trailed off, lost for words.

I nodded to her. "Err, I look a little different, but it's still me," I said, feeling somewhat silly.

"Really? Taern?" Tears began welling in the corners of her eyes, and her lips quirked into a smile. In an instant, she tackled me, pinning me to the forest floor and gripping me as tightly as she could.

Immediately I wrapped my arms around the small fox, embracing her. "I'm so sorry," I murmured. "I've been an idiot, Fiori."

"I don't care. You came for me, and you're here now," she said, wagging her tails happily.

"Yeah," I said, frowning. "But I shouldn't have made you wait so long."

She buried her face against my broad chest. "That's in the past now. Besides," she chimed happily, "you promised you'd make it up to me!"

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Yeah, of course I will." I glanced cautiously at Revy, then back to the fox on top of me. "But not right now. Uh, so it's true that you're bound to these woods?"

The vulpix nodded to me. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before," she said, frowning.

"Oh, come on," Revy interjected. "It's not like it's forever or anything. Your mother was bound to these woods before you, remember?"

Fiori glanced dubiously at her. "So?"

Revy rolled her eyes. "If you get a replacement, you won't be bound here any longer. I mean, if that's what you want."

"A replacement?" Fiori asked, confused.

There was a moment of quiet, and by the end of it I could feel my cheeks burning red.

"Shut up, creepario!" Revy growled at me.

"But I didn't say anything," I protested.

"I don't care!" She glanced back at Fiori, collecting herself. "So if you want a replacement, they must be of your bloodline. It'd have to be your firstborn daughter."

The fox blinked owlishly at Revy before turning back to me. "A daughter?"

Somehow, I felt my cheeks burning even hotter than before.

"Ugh! You sick pervert!" Revy shouted, flicking a pebble at my head.

"Ouch," I winced as it nicked my ear.

As the meaning of Revy's words finally sank in, Fiori's jaw dropped. "If I have a daughter, I can be with Taern?"

"Yeah, that's how it works," the celebi explained, crossing her arms.

Fiori's face brightened by a magnitude of ten. "Taern, I would have a dozen daughters if it meant we could be together. Two dozen, even!" she cried happily. "Can we get started right now?"

"B-but Fiori, wait-"

She cut me off with a forlorn gaze, her face a precious moue. "You mean master doesn't want me to bear him daughters?"

"Ugh! You two are disgusting," Revy said, shaking her head. "Seriously, keep that up and I'm out of here."

"Fiori, even if we did have a daughter and you passed your guardianship duties to her, it wouldn't break the cycle," I reasoned.

The fox sighed, her ears dropping back in disappointment. "So?"

"Revy is right," I told her. "It's better if you don't leave. After all, she said it was fine if I stayed here with you."

The celebi glared at me, scooping up another pebble. "Keep me out of this, creepario."

"Look," I said, trying to explain myself. "When we have d—err, _if_ we eventually have daughters, I don't want to force them into being cursed or anything."

The vulpix glanced uncertainly at me. "So you want me to stay here?"

"It's the right thing to do, isn't it?"

She hesitated for a long while before smiling faintly. "It could be a long time." The fox pressed herself closer to me, letting out a contented sigh. "But as long as master is with me, I'll be happy."

Revy groaned out loud. "Alright, I'm out of here. In case you decide to look for me, I'll be somewhere I can't hear the two of you gushing," she said huffily. The celebi teleported away with a bright flash, leaving Fiori and I alone in the forest.

"So," she said thoughtfully, "you really don't want me to bear you any daughters?"

I squeezed her affectionately, enjoying the warmth of our closeness. "Let's just take it slowly for now, okay?"

"But why?" she asked curiously.

"Well, it's just that I kinda screwed up earlier. It was my fault that we were moving so fast," I admitted.

"Did we do something wrong? You wish we hadn't made love?" She pouted at me. "Was it... n-not good enough for master?"

"That's not what I mean," I said, beginning to feel frustrated. "Look, I-"

"The things you said yesterday. Did you mean them?" she asked softly.

The vixen looked at me with her big brown eyes, and I felt my stomach do a somersault. "Well yeah, of course I did."

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to tell you then," she said shyly, averting her gaze. "But Taern, I feel the same way. I've admired you since we first met, but I was too afraid to ask you to be more than my senpai. So even if it happened too fast, I don't regret any of it. B-because I love you, too."

My mind went blank and my jaw dropped like a stone edge. "Oh."

Fiori giggled at me. "You know, last night," she paused, biting her lip, "you were sweet. And really cool, too."

"But I was just-"

The fox cut off my complaints with a kiss. "It's been a week now and I feel like being this close to you is going to drive me crazy."

"But you need to get your rest," I pointed out.

"Please, Taern," she whispered, gazing beseechingly into my eyes. "Please don't make me beg."

The vixen pressed herself closer to me, and in an instant the spicy pheromones of her estrous pervaded my nostrils, making my blood feel like it would boil. "A-ah," I stammered. "You smell so good, Fiori."

Her breath was hot against my face. "Master, you've gone a full week without punishing me. Just think how bad I've been," she murmured seductively.

Despite my concerns for the fox, my paws found themselves on her narrow hips. She kissed me again, eagerly taking my tongue into her mouth. When she finally broke away, a strand of saliva trailed with her, bridging the distance between our lips.

"Master," she cooed, "I've been so bad without you." The vulpix gazed into my eyes, pouring her need and desire into me. I could feel her pheromones burning their way through my nose and tongue, beating a path to the pleasure center in my brain.

Blood began pumping its way into my tapered mast and I soon felt it brush against her velvety soft tails. Fiori giggled, pleased by the immediate reaction her magic had on me. Not finished, she stood and daintily took several paces forward, granting me an inviting view of her underside. Before I could protest, she dropped her hips, rubbing her dripping cunny over my sensitive nostrils and covering them with her juices. Her scent seared even stronger in my nose, making my vision blur and winding me.

By the time I was done seeing stars, her spell was complete. I shrugged off my pack and sat up, casting my gaze around until I found the mischievous fox. "Fiori," I groaned, licking my lips, "be good and come back here."

She wiggled her petite butt flirtatiously at me before bounding away. I ran after her on all fours, chasing her in a circuit through the woods' trees. After several moments, I seized an opportunity and pounced, deftly catching her.

Pinned beneath me, Fiori began squirming playfully. She glanced over her shoulder, her ears dropped back yieldingly. "Master, you caught me," she tittered, flushing a deep crimson.

I leaned into her and bit her neck, eliciting a yelp out of the trapped fox. "You are very bad," I whispered into her ear, "And even worse for wanting to be punished."

The vixen giggled bashfully at me. "Master doesn't like it when I'm naughty?" she asked, rubbing her butt against me.

I growled at her and bit her neck again. "Good girls don't talk back to their masters," I scolded her.

Kneeling behind her, I placed my forepaws on her hips and lifted them up. To my displeasure, she lifted her front half as well, standing fully upright. "No," I snapped at her. Pressing down between her shoulders, I forced her front half down and corrected her posture. "Keep sticking your butt up, just like that."

The fox glanced once more over her shoulder, her cheeks burning red. "M-master?"

Smiling crookedly at the vixen, I began sliding the length of my painful erection against her swollen netherlips.

Fiori shivered beneath me, already panting heavily. "Master, why can't we just-"

I nipped one of her tails, cutting her off. "If you're acting like a needy bitch in heat, then that's precisely how master is going to treat you."

"B-but master," she stammered, "this is a little bit embarrassing, isn't it?"

"Good," I said, grinning wickedly. "Otherwise, it would be a poor punishment." As I spoke, I continued teasing the fox, torturously sliding my shaft against her wet folds.

"A-ah, please," the vulpix pleaded. "That's good enough, please."

I paused long enough to press down between her shoulders once more. "Please what? Why don't you beg for it like a good girl?"

"Please, master," she begged, "I need you inside of me. Please, fuck me."

I couldn't help but chuckle in response to her submissive obedience. Smiling with pride, I nipped one of her plush tails affectionately. "Very good, Fiori." Aligning the tip of my dick with her greedy cunt, I pressed forward, sheathing myself inside of her.

"Oh," she squeaked. "M-master, you're so much bigger than before," she said, squirming uncomfortably.

It was quite true. To my disappointment, I had bottomed out with roughly two thirds of my dick in her love-tunnel. "I go out of my way to give my favorite vixen a present, and she can't even take all of it?" I chided her. "That's unacceptable." Once more, I pressed down between her shoulders, forcing her face into the grass carpet below us.

"I-I'm sorry, master. I didn't know," she whimpered, glancing apologetically at me.

With her needy pheromones still burning in my nose, it took every ounce of self-control not to immediately fuck her into the ground. Instead, I began humping her slowly and was rewarded by both her moans and the delicious _shlick_ noises her body made. As I thrust into her time and again, the vixen's fiery walls grasped and massaged the length of my tapered dick. The pleasure of her hot, tight cunt was so intense that I had to bite my tongue to keep myself from crying out.

I had to take a deep breath before addressing her. "I'll let it go just this once," I barely managed.

"Th-thank you master," she breathed heavily. "I'll do my best to accept your gift next time, I promise."

"Quiet," I barked at her. "A bitch in heat is meant to be bred, not to talk."

Fiori bit her lip and I saw tears welling in the corner of her eyes, but I knew precisely how aroused she was. The blood-like scent of her pheromones gradually thickened, heightening the desire in my stomach until my vision was tinted red.

After several minutes of humping her, I finally gave up on trying to be gentle and increased the pace. With one paw still pressing her face into the grass, I reached with the other to her underside and began toying with her sensitive teats.

The fox moaned and her ears dropped back submissively. "M-master, please," she begged me, "I'll bear you as many daughters as you want, just fuck me!"

I growled at her but obliged, fucking her harder and harder into the ground. The clenching and pulling of her slick, fiery love-tunnel intensified until I wanted to scream out loud.

"Fiori," I groaned despite myself. "F-fucking hell."

The fox glanced over her shoulder at me, a coy smile on her face. The warmth of my yielding lover and the haze of her spicy pheromones were just too much. Placing my paws on her narrow hips, I lifted her and began fucking the vupix with wild abandon. The lovely, wet squelch sound her dripping pussy made was music to my ears, and with each thrust, her abused and distended cunt managed to take more and more of my cockflesh. By the time I could fully hilt inside of her, I was rutting into the bitch with a renewed vigor.

The intensity of it was just too much and my fiery lover screamed out loud in pleasure. Her vulpine body tensed as a orgasm rocked through her and a gush of feminine juices spattered against my crotch. Her fiery walls began grasping and squeezing my dick, enrapturing me and pushing me to my limit. I plunged my mast into her one last time and came, shooting rope after rope of semen into her womb until my testes were deflated and empty. Our orgasms finally subsided and I collapsed on the ground with her.

Turning around, Fiori leaned into me and kissed sweetly me on the lips. "Thank you, master," she said dreamily.

I wrapped my arms around her and licked her on the cheek. With my body so thoroughly spent, the fire in my stomach was finally gone, leaving only butterflies in its place. "Wow," I breathed. "Err, I hope I didn't hurt you or anything."

Fiori happily buried her face against my neck. "We might be sore tomorrow, but it was worth it," she crooned.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Yeah, I think you're right," I said with a grin.

The fox wagged her fluffy tails merrily. "Maybe I can finally bear master daughters now."

"Don't joke about that," I chided her.

She gazed into my eyes and I could see the sincerity in her face. "But I'm not joking, Taern."

My stomach did a somersault and I laughed again. "I love you so much," I said stupidly.

The vixen kissed me again, suppressing a giggle. "I love you, too."

I felt my eyes drifting closed. "We should get some rest, I think."

"Sure, but first we should probably go wash up. Revy would kill you if she saw us like this," she pointed out.

"Bah," I managed, "yeah, you're right."

The two of us got to our feet and I followed her to a nearby stream. We quickly washed up before heading back to the clearing to finally make ourselves cozy.

"Oh," I said, noting my pack lying on the grass. "Fiori, I don't think I had a chance to tell you about Master Serence's friend."

The fox shook her head. "No, you didn't," she replied.

"Well, Master Serence traded him for the joy ribbon that let me evolve. But he sent a fire stone with me, too. He meant it as a gift for you." Rustling through the pack, I removed the rock and placed it on the ground.

Fiori smiled shyly at me. "It's nice, but what's it do?"

"It would let you evolve," I explained.

She frowned. "Oh."

I blinked slowly at her. "You don't want it?"

"That's not it. It's just that I don't think I'm ready to evolve yet," she said, shrugging helplessly.

"Right, of course," I nodded to her. Replacing the fire stone in my pack, I began rustling through it for something else. "Rude sent one more thing with me. Here," I said, presenting the small agate to her. "It might not be as good as that pearl, but I want you to have it."

Fiori's face brightened as she saw it. "It's pretty," she cooed, wagging her fluffy tails.

"Yeah, Rude said that it was fine for me to take it because agates are barato or something," I said, scratching my head. "Well, I guess I kinda left your pearl at the spring. It didn't occur to me to bring it along. Sorry."

The vulpix tackled me to the ground and kissed me playfully. "It's fine, Taern. I'd rather have you, anyway," she murmured softly.

I embraced her again, licking her on the cheek. "I know," I muttered, "it's just that I'd give you the whole world if I could. One little stone doesn't nearly do you justice."

"Revy is right, you really are a dummy," she teased. "But I guess you're a sweet dummy, and that's what I like about you."

"Rude gave me another thing, too," I told her. "He's the one that encouraged me to tell you how I feel about you. Without him, I might have been too scared to tell you."

The fox beamed at me. "I'm glad you had a chance to meet him. I'll have to thank him one day," she said, smiling wistfully.

Again, I felt my eyelids getting heavy. The exhaustion of my journey had finally caught up to me. "Anyway, I think we could both use some rest," I said, stifling a yawn.

"Sure, and tomorrow morning you'll still have some making up to do," Fiori said as she snuggled up beside me.

I snickered at her comment. Wrapping an arm around her, I took a deep breath of her comforting, spicy scent. "Exactly _how_ bad were you while I was gone?"

The fox pressed herself closer to me, giggling happily. "Let's be like this forever, Taern."

"Yeah," I said fondly. "Let's do that, Fiori."


End file.
